The Love Spell: a Fiery Miko and a Cold-Hearted Daiyouki's Love Story
by RoseRogan
Summary: In a cruel twist of fate, Kagome is cursed with a love spell by Naraku right after having her heart broken by Inuyasha. The object of her affection? That would be the very unwilling Daiyoukai, Lord Sesshomaru. Will the Inu-taichi be able to find a cure before Sesshomaru losses his patience with Kagome, or is this spell a blessing in disguise for the cold-hearted Daiyoukai?
1. The Love Spell: Chapter 1

Hey Everyone! As I am sure I don't need to mention, but for policy's sake, **I DON'T OWN INUYASHA**. If I had such a pleasure, Kagome would have ended up with Sesshomaru, and if that statement alone doesn't make it clear, here's your only warning. THIS IS A SESSHOMARU X KAGOME Fan fiction, my first one actually, so I hope you enjoy.

That's all the disclaimers so on to the story!

* * *

"Inuyasha, get down from there!" Kagome practically screeched from her spot underneath the ancient oak tree where Inuyasha was currently inhaling Kagome's dinner— the last cup of ramen she had been saving.

"Keh, why the hell should I? I deserve this! I've been busting my ass all day saving the lot of ya and now you wanna complain about me eating your ramen. Wench, when did you become so ungrateful?" Inuyasha shouted through a mouthful of steaming noodles, paying no heed to the dangerous flicker of reiki that was beginning to spark around the fiery little miko.

Now, on any normal day this kind of thing would result in a little spat between the two close friends before Kagome eventually decided it wasn't worth the effort arguing with Inuyasha over something so silly, especially since she knew how much he loved his ramen. That day, however, had been long and hard on everyone. Before the sun's light even touched the sky they had set out in search of the last remaining jewel shard, and, not only did they not find any leads to the elusive shard fragment, they had a rather unpleasant run in with one of Naraku's vile incarnations.

This particular incarnation was a real piece of work too, going by the name of Byakuya. Like the infant incarnation and like Naraku himself, Byakuya enjoyed playing mind games to torture his victims infinitely more than engaging in actual physical altercations, and boy-oh-boy was toying with people's emotions definitely his forte... Needless to say, the Inu-taichi were not only physically drained from the day's travels but also emotionally recuperating from their battle with the Demon of Dreams, so Kagome's emotions were already unstable before her precious dinner had been stolen right out of her hands.

The usually sweet and caring Kagome was livid, no doubt about it. All she wanted was to sit and eat her dinner in peace and this dog, this _mutt_, not only smashed her dreams but dared to call her ungrateful? Ungrateful! When was the last time he had ever thanked her for making dinner, for treating his injuries, for coming up with ways to get them all out of sticky situations after HIS hotheadedness got them into trouble? When had he thanked her for anything!

Kagome's reiki began to pulse around her. Her powers had steadily been growing since she fell down the well three years ago at the ripe age of 15 and, despite what Inuyasha might say, her reiki was now a formidable force that rivaled that of even Midoriko. Kagome had indeed come far, far surpassing that of her supposed "original" Kikyo; however, that did not mean she had complete control of her growing powers. In fact, as her powers seemed to be constantly growing within her, Kagome found it even more difficult to control than when she had first begun her Miko training. This in combination with her emotive nature made an emotional Kagome the equivalent of a walking reiki time bomb—something you would think Inuyasha would be more cognizant of considering she could purify his ass if things got out of hand.

"Inuyasha," Kagome's voice was both hard and cold, a clear warning of how far from her normal self she was feeling, and it finally clicked for the hanyou how dangerous his current situation might be. Ears flattening to the sides of his head, Inuyasha risked a glance down at the Miko and the sight of her made a shiver of fear descend his spine.

Kagome was struggling. In her heart, she knew this was not such a big deal. Yeah, Inuyasha's words stung, but he says that kind of stuff_ all the time_: she was used to it. It wouldn't even phase her if she hadn't been already reeling from _that_ dream. The dream gifted to her by that flippant Byakuya. The dream and its message still clung to her, invading her soul and whispering those damning words in her head in a voice she thought she could trust, thought she could love. Yes, she was used to such rough treatment by her best friend, by her hanyou, but today it felt like those nasty and petty comments were literal daggers plunging into her heart. She couldn't take it, but she knew she had to control herself or her powers could purify her demon friends which would leave her even more heartbroken. That left her with only one choice. Kagome had to flee.

Realizing she needed to get away from the clearing they had begun to set camp in before she could do any real damage, Kagome flashed one watery glare up at the dog still sitting in the tree before turning to run, and not even the concerned shouts of her slayer best friend and her little kit could stop her.

The trees and undergrowth tried their hardest to slow her down, but for once Kagome wouldn't be impeded by their branches or limbs as she catapulted herself away from her friends. Her heart was racing even faster than her limbs could carry her, racing so fast she could feel the tears and breaks that had been inflicted upon her by Inuyasha's crude and selfish treatment of her over the years begin to tremble in their efforts to hold the pieces of her heart together, but even Kagome could tell the struggle would be futile. Knowing she only had a few moments before her heart shattered, Kagome began to look around her for a spot she could be truly alone. Her frantic search quickly led her to a tiny glade, an oval patch of lush green grass surrounded by the fiery trees of Autumn. _Such a beautiful place_, Kagome thought. _Such a beautiful place it seems almost cruel to inflict my suffering on its tranquility_, but that thought was short lived as her heart gave one painful squeeze before crumbling in her chest.

The pain was excruciating. Kagome had never felt anything remotely close to the utter anguish she was experiencing at that moment, and she felt she would almost rather die than have to experience it for a second longer. Kagome was no stranger to pain, not even to heartbreak, as she had been experiencing both in droves since coming to the Feudal Era—especially after Kikyo was revived. She had been slashed at by claws and swords of numerous youkai and humans alike, she had been mentally tortured by Naraku, and she had been emotionally abused by the one she thought she could love the most, Inuyasha.

The mere thought of Inuyasha caused a strangled cry to be torn from her lips as she pictured his lovely white hair and cute doggy ears, but the smile on his face in her mind only caused her more pain. It was the smile he wore when he saw _her_, not her, but Kikyo, it was always for Kikyo **as it always would be**.

That final thought was the last straw. Kagome curled in on herself in a desperate attempt to keep herself from falling apart, but that thought was like a taunting epiphany, like a reluctant prophecy, like a grudging death sentence for her first love.

* * *

Kagome cried for what felt like an eternity to the little Miko, but had truly only been just under an hour. However, this entire time she was not alone. Eyes of molten gold watched her from high within a neighboring tree. He had initially noticed a pulse of unimaginable holy power that he deemed warranted his attention, and perhaps his disposal. He had even allowed himself to briefly relish in the thought of battling such a creature that dared to rival his supremacy, to send forth such a challenging call that even from a distance tingled along his skin. However, instead of the strong and powerful contender he expected to find, he saw her, the hanyou's wench.

If it wasn't beneath him, he would have rolled his eyes at the seen before him. The foolish creature was crying, well, uncontrollable sobbing more like it. He wouldn't have believed she was the one to issue such a challenge, albeit probably unintentionally, if it wasn't for the raging storm of reiki that surrounded her like a dome.

Even in her despair, Kagome had subconsciously worried about harming innocent youkai bystanders and erected a barrier. This barrier would have left any youkai in the vicinity completely unaware of her outburst, including her lone audience member, if it wasn't for the fact the barrier had only been erected after her initial outburst. No, she hadn't purified anyone, but she had caught the interest of a very troublesome youkai.

This same youkai watched the entire episode of anguish and torment with out an ounce of empathy, if anything he found her display of emotion a clear sign of her inherent weakness as a human. He couldn't believe he had been practically drawn by the call of such a worthless creature. However, he would have to admit that despite being such an insignificant creature, he should probably observe her more closely from now on as it was rather curious to the youkai how such a fragile being could house such a deadly power. Taking one last glance at the young Miko as she seemed to collect herself and return to wherever she had come from, he noted how her limbs trembled and her lips quivered with the residual sorrow that permeated her entire being, and he could not help the sneer that flashed across his face.

"Pathetic."

* * *

Kagome lingered on the edge of the group's campsite just out of sight in order to collect herself before facing her friends, even going as far as to cloak her aura and scent to keep Inuyasha from sensing her presence. This was one of her newest abilities and was developed pretty much on accident a few months back.

_**—Flachback—**_

Kagome snuggled into the warmth of her sleeping bag as she pulled Shippo in close to her side. It had been a long day of Inuyasha hounding them to move faster in search of the last few shards of the Shikon Jewel. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku were used to the incessant badgering of their "alpha" to go beyond their limits as human beings in order to complete their quest as soon as possible, but for some reason today was especially difficult. It was the last month of summer but the sun had been blazing down on them all day with a nearly stifling heat, and this left the group sweaty and cranky.

A few hours before sunset, Kagome felt like her uniform was being glued to her skin due to her perspiration and after a not so subtle wiggle of the perverted monk's brow she was mortified to discover that the top of her uniform had become completely transparent, leaving her baby blue bra on full display. With a squeak she covered herself from Miroku's leering eyes and stomped her foot in indignation.

"Inuyasha, that's quite enough. It's nearly sunset and we haven't had a break all day!" Kagome used her no-nonsense voice and was prepared for when he would turn around and start barking at her, but he didn't. Oh, he was about to, everyone could tell that he fully intended to start yelling at all of them about their lack of commitment to their quest and to 'quite their belly-aching and just keep walking,' but instead of the typical tirade he merely opened his mouth before clamping it back shut. Then, with a small quirk of those doggy ears and twitch of his nose, he just crossed his arms and gave the group an exasperated glare.

"Keh, if you're so weak we will never beat Naraku, but I guess we can stop for the night. I, however, am no weak human so I am gonna scope the area, don't wait up." Not waiting for their reply, he jumped into the trees to leave them with all the work of setting up camp.

Kagome was so relieved to be able to rest with the others that she didn't think twice about Inuyasha's odd behavior, and it wasn't even until they were all turning in for the night that Kagome first started to think about how peculiar it was for Inuyasha to give in so easily. Looking around, Kagome saw that Sango had already fallen asleep lying against Kirara's side and Miroku wasn't far behind as he leaned against a adjacent tree. Then looking down, Kagome felt a small smile pull at her lips as she noticed her Shippo was also fast asleep as he nestled himself against her side. Giving the lovable kit a gentle squeeze before she slowly got out of her sleeping bag, Kagome sent a gentle pulse of energy into the surrounding area before wandering to the north when she felt a trace of Inuyasha's youki not far from camp.

As she walked deeper into the forrest, a nagging feeling descended upon her as she got closer and closer to Inuyasha's location. It was saying that she was intruding on his privacy or something. _That's just ridiculous_. Kagome just wanted to see where Inuyasha had gone off to because she was worried._ Yeah, I'm just being a good friend_._ It's highly likely Inuyasha has gotten into some trouble in his obsessive search for the shards, and he might need my help._ Honestly, Kagome sighed, she couldn't understand why he was so desperate for the shards. _He couldn't possibly still want to become a full demon?_

Kagome's heart and soul gave a simultaneous tug. Her heart because of the sadness that accompanied the thought that Inuyasha still rejected who he truly was, and the tug on her soul, well, that only happened when a certain undead priestess was around.

Kagome felt the pain in her heart intensify as she realized what she could be walking in on. _He could be with her. They could be embracing. They could even be kissing! _Kagome's heart dropped._ You fool, go back. Do you enjoy having your heart broken? _With a shake of her head and a clench of her fists, Kagome continued on regardless. If that was what was going on, and she prayed it wasn't, didn't she deserve to know? It would be better than being clueless, right? The answer...Well, Kagome couldn't tell you if she had the right to know, but she was positive that she didn't want to have _that_ image ingrained in her memory.

Right before her eyes, in a heap of entangled limbs and thrusting hips, laid Kikyo and Inuyasha. Kagome didn't want to believe her eyes but the perverted sounds assaulting her ears made the sight painfully real.

Kikyo laid on the ground at the base of a giant oak tree, cushioned by the lush green summer grass as Inuyasha grunted and groaned above her. Kikyo, herself, wasn't quite as she moaned Inuyasha's name and clawed at his back with her stony fingernails.

Kagome stood frozen along the edge of the forrest in utter disbelief. She knew her and Inuyasha weren't an official couple, but they were something, right? They had been together for nearly three years now and he had promised to be with her, to take care of her, to love her. But now, now, here he was, pounding his dick into a clay animation. This couldn't be real.

_He should have told me! At least have the balls to say it to my face instead of lurking around like a damn criminal! _Kagome's tears streaked down her face and a sob escaped her lips, but she quickly clamped her hand over her mouth as she saw Inuyasha's back stiffen. Amber eyes scanned the area and Kagome began to panic.

_No, no! Please, don't see me. I wanna disappear. Just let me disappear! _Kagome pleaded with the Kamis as Inuyasha finished his "business_" _with Kikyo and began to move towards where she was standing. _Oh, no_. This was the last thing she needed, to come face to face with the man she loved after he had just fucked her original. No, she couldn't let him find her.

Reaching deep within, Kagome challenged her stubborn reiki to bend to her will as she projected a barrier around herself. Unlike her normal barrier that was used to deflect attacks, this barrier encased Kagome in a what she would describe as a second skin, barely there but with the unmistakable pinkish hue of her reiki. The barrier was raised and Kagome prayed it would do what she needed, if not, fate truly would be too cruel.

Inuyasha was only a few feet away from where Kagome was hiding, and she could see the look of confusion on his face. It was as if the scent was familiar but too weak to place. He moved closer and as his clawed hand began to pull back the low branch blocking her from his view Kagome could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage in her fear of being discovered. However, those amber eyes looked right through her, and not like they usually do when he was seeing Kikyo instead of her, no, he literally looked her in the eyes and then continued to search the area for whoever had walked in on their little tryst. Kagome couldn't believe it. Her barrier had worked! Her triumphant feeling was quickly extinguished when she heard the monotone miko beckon her inu lover return to her side, and, as he heeded her call like a loyal lap dog, Kagome could only stare at the back of her beloved Inuyasha as her heart began to crack under the weight of her grief.

_**—End Flashback—**_

Kagome rolled her eyes at the memory. How could she have been so naive? She was from the 21st century for pete's sake, not some sheltered princess who thought love would be handed to her. Yeah, she knew now she should have learned her lesson back then, but instead she had just pretended that it never happened, that she still had a chance of redirecting the hanyou's love towards herself.

_Well, that's definitely over._ It was official, Kagome Higurashi was going to say goodbye to her puppy love. As of today, she was going to be a strong and independent young woman who needed no man's love or protection. She knew her power had grown from when she was just an inexperienced teenager thrust into the perilous Feudal Era and it was time she started acting like it. Taking in a shuddering breath, Kagome steeled her nerves for the final time and nodded to herself in her new found determination. _Ok, Higurashi, you've dawdled long enough. It's time to bite the bullet. _

Thanking the only good thing that had resulted from that awful night all those months ago, Kagome tested her control over her scent blocking barrier to make sure Inuyasha wouldn't be able to smell her sorrow. She knew it was unavoidable that they would all know she had been crying, considering her tear stained face and puffy eyes, but she didn't need to walk in proclaiming her heartbroken status to the man who had refused her affection. No, Kagome was done with the pitiful glances Sango would send her way when Kikyo was mentioned or the suprisingly well-behaved pat on her shoulder Miroku would give her when Inuyasha would run off after the walking corpse. She knew it was out of genuine sympathy and love that they tried to make her feel better, but now those gestures only represented how long she had been utterly naive, how long she had allowed herself and her feelings to be trampled over, and how long she had wallowed in this fruitless love.

Today, she didn't want the reminders: it was time to move on. She was going to walk in there and act like everything was fine. She was going to be the sweet and bubbly Kagome she used to be before all these depressing feelings began to eat away at her heart, the Kagome she would strive to be once again. It was time for a new chapter in her life, and to get where she needed to be, well, she just needed to fake it till she made it.

With that thought in mind, Kagome finally took that first step forward, not knowing that her first step into that clearing would also coincidently be her first step into her future.

The first thing she noticed in the clearing was the stench of miasma quickly followed by the raging of a certain hanyou.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha bellowed as his sword arched above his head in the direction of Kagura and a swarm of those damn wasps from hell, the Saimyosho. The force of the demon fang disintegrated a number of the pesky poisonous insects but more just filled in behind them as their brothers fell.

Kagura smirked at the weak attempt to reduce their numbers before laughing in the face of the enraged hanyou. "Really half-breed, does your human blood limit your intelligence as well as your strength?" Seeing her remark had the desired result as Inuyasha's face contored in indignation, the wind youkai began to float in the opposite direction of the clearing they were currently residing. "Maybe if you were a full demon you could land at least one blow." Kagura taunted as she darted away on her feather.

"Come back here, Bitch!" Inuyasha didn't give a second thought as he ran after Kagura and left the rest of his pack in the clearing.

"Inuyasha, stop!" Kagome screamed, but it was too late, he was gone. Kagome had an idea of what was going on as she saw Sango not too far from her with her eyes fixated on her beloved brother, Kohaku. Before Kagome could even warn the slayer of what she suspected, her suspicions were confirmed as Kohaku fled in the opposite direction that Kagure had just led Inuyasha, knowing Sango would follow.

_They are trying to separate us...a__nd succeeding. _Kagome looked around desperately in an attempt to find Miroku and Shippo, and she quickly found the monk as he sprinted past her while shouting after Sango. She was both proud and annoyed at the monk's dedication to the friend she saw as a sister. Proud of his desire to protect her, but annoyed that he just fell completely into whatever plot Naraku was hatching.

_Well isn't this fantastic. _Kagome thought sarcastically, that is until her heart suddenly plunged to the pit of her stomach. _Shippo_. Kagome began to search frantically for her kit, ignoring the fact that the wasps were merely floating in midair, as if suspended in time as they waited for her to make a decision. Sending a pulse of her reiki out she could read his general location and began to run. If she thought she had run fast earlier, she didn't know what speed truly was or how the thought of her little Shippo in danger made her literally fly. She could rival a demon with her speed as she began to call for her kit.

"Shippo, Shippo!" Kagome could hear the desperation in her voice, but she didn't care. She needed to find him. Now. With no way to know how far or how long she had run, she lost all sense of time and direction as she focused on one thing—Shippo's lightly pulsing youki.

When she could practically feel his youki along her skin, Kagome was already stumbling into a clearing. There he was. There her little Shippo sat, innocently entertaining a delighted Rin with his spinning tops.

_He's safe._ That thought was like a boulder being lifted off her heart, but not being completely removed as she still felt the threats lurking around them. Not taking a second to even wonder at her pace, Kagome threw herself at the little fox and nearly crushed him in her embrace.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Shippo asked as he barely managed to squeeze himself out of her strangle hold to poke his head out from between her arms, only to be shocked at Kagome's current state. His sense of smell may not be as strong as an inu's but he could practically taste the fear rolling off his adopted mother.

Tears glistened in Kagome's azure gaze as she buried her face in Shippo's unruly auburn hair, barely withholding a sob. _He's safe_.

"Miko-sama?" Rin asked with a tentative hand reaching for her sleeve, and Kagome looked up to see a very worried little girl. Still overly emotional, Kagome reached out with her arm and scoped the little girl to join her and Shippo in her smothering hug. Instantly, Rin and Shippo began to giggle in her arms, and Kagome took a fleeting moment to delight in the lovely sound. That is, before she felt the taint of malice enter the clearing.

Kagome's face became set in her resolve to protect the two innocent children as she pushed them behind her. "Stay here." She said, with all the authority of a seasoned general as she erected a barrier around the children as an extra precaution—even though she knew the only way her opponent would be reaching them would be over her dead body.

"Show yourself coward." Kagome's voice was hard as steel as she scanned the trees lining the edge of the forrest, waiting for the owner of the most distorted soul she had ever known to reveal himself. She didn't have to wait long.

"Ah, Kagome." Naraku's voice slithered out from beneath the pelt of a white baboon. "I can't tell you how pleased I am to see you."

The way he said her name sickened Kagome to her core, as it curled almost possessively around it like he saw her as one of his possessions, one of his toys.

Kagome pursed her lips in an attempt not to hurl at the feeling of his malignant aura swirling against her own. "Well, the feeling isn't mutual, so do me a favor and get lost." The distain in her tone was clear and it made the corner's of Naraku's lips curl in satisfaction— an insulting attempt at a smile that was lost on the miko due to the baboon mask.

"Oh, priestess, how could I leave now? The fun is just beginning." His foreboding words making Kagome's stomach twist into knots.

"Not interested. If you aren't going to leave on your own then I have no choice but to make you." Kagome reached behind her to pull an arrow from her quiver only to freeze in the lack there of… _I left my bow at camp._

Her horror at her potentially fatal mistake led to Naraku's increased amusement. A laugh as dark and menacing as his aura spilled from his lips at the look of panic on the miko's face.

"It seems you have made a grave error, Miko." He chuckled once more. "How unfortunate for you, however, I am in a particularly playful mode today, and if you let me play my game maybe I can let you and your precious kit leave here unharmed."

As he made his proposition, Naraku lowered his baboon hood to reveal crimson eyes dancing in mirth at the thought of playing his "game".

Weighing her options, Kagome thought there was no harm in listening to whatever he was planning. At the very least, this might buy her some time to think of a way out of this situation. Wary eyes looked over the foul excuse of a being before her, trying to choose her words carefully.

With a flip of her wrist, Kagome sent her long raven locks behind her back before placing her hand firmly on her hip. "Speak."

Naraku bristled at the commanding tone and condescending look in the petite human's eyes, but if he wanted to get his way he would have to play nice, for now. He knew his words would be a wonderful mind game for the young miko. Playing on her desire to protect the fox, he wanted to see if he could darken the miko's seemingly infinite light with the choice she would have to make.

"Simple, really." Naraku shrugged, a sly smile sliding across his face. "It's a game of chance. You see, you have two choices." Naraku lifted his hand before her to tally off sed choices for her. "One, you fight me. There is a chance you will be able to fend me off for some time, but you will eventually fail, weakened as you try and keep up both your attacks and the protective barrier. Then I will have both the _children _in my grasp." Naraku sneered at the word, like two innocent children were as insignificant as bugs to him. "Or," His eyes lit up with the possibility that his next offer could push the ever so loving miko into the darkness. "You take your kit and leave."

There was a pause and Naraku's smile grew at the disbelieving yet hopeful look that shone through Kagome's eyes for only a second before he continued. "But, you will have to leave the human girl behind. There's a _chance _I will kill her and there's a _chance _I will let her go."

Kagome's back straightened and her eyes narrowed at how cruel Naraku truly was, cruel and manipulative. He knew she was still learning how to harness her holy energy and that a fight would be nearly impossible if she was trying to maintain a barrier as well, at least in her current state. That left her with only one choice really, fight and lose, or leave knowing she had saved at least one innocent life. The decision was clear.

Sesshomaru watched on with his typical impassive mask in place as his brother's wench flung herself around the kit. He had only been gone briefly to assess the situation of the Inu-taichi's camp, only to find that the entire group had scattered. He had scented the air to find that both Kagura and the Saimyosho had also already left the vicinity as there was only the faint sent of miasma left behind.

Feeling no need to get one such as himself involved considering the spider was not present, he returned to his ward only to find a visibly distraught miko assaulting both the kit and his nose with the wretched scent of her fear. The Western Lord had an idea as to why she was so afraid, but he couldn't understand why that resulted in her blubbering. _Obviously, the kit is safe. Why continue such foolish displays of emotion?_

As if sensing his judgment of her emotive state, Kagome seemed to instinctively defy his reasoning by pulling his own ward into her arms as she continued to be an emotional mess. A silent growl led the daiyoukai to bare his fangs at her insistence to act unreasonable, but was forgotten as he quickly turned his attention to the malicious presence watching from the shadows.

_A coward through and through, aren't you Naraku. To even hide from such a weak creature. _Sesshomaru couldn't help the disgust that filled him at the knowledge that the pathetic hanyou was still alive. _I will end you today, half-breed. _

Preparing to ambush the unsuspecting spider demon, as Sesshomaru was the only one who could make a barrier that even that bastard couldn't sense, Sesshomaru laid a regal claw over the hilt of his trusted fang, Bakusaiga.

During his battle against Magatsushi, the fang had been forged of his very own being due to a fierce concentration of Sesshomaru's youki. The fang was now one of his most prized possessions as he believed its creation marked the day he surpassed his sire in strength. However, he was slightly disappointed (not that he would ever admit it) when the sword's creation didn't lead to the restoration of his left arm. That mattered little to the mighty demon lord now, though, as he knew he could eliminate such a worthless creature with no arms, let alone one.

Bracing himself to descend the tree he was currently perched in to confront Naraku, he paused when he noticed the miko stiffen only a few moments after his initial discovery of their unwelcome visitor. Curious, the Inu Lord deigned his interference wasn't necessary immediately, and he watched as the young miko finally stopped her crying to push the children behind her and into a protective barrier with an authoritative tone that he had never before heard pass her lips. A tone that had his beast stirring in its cage.

_So she does have a backbone_. That brief observation was only confirmed with the strong willed and disdainful manner in which the miko was treating the half-breed. She let her posture and tone make her position evident to her opponent, signaling to him that he would not be getting anywhere near her charges.

**She protects them like they are her own.** Sesshomaru blinked slowly at the sudden voice of his beast, noticing that for once he was close to the forefront of his mind and watching from within his cage. _Hn._ Was all the daiyoukai had to say to that comment. It was true, but that did not mean he wished to have a discussion with his beast over the fact. It perturbed him to know that his beast was even bothering to watch.

Sesshomaru's thoughts were cut short when he heard the "game" in which the imposter of a demon wanted to play and a silent snarl had him once again barring his fangs.

**_Wait! _**Sesshomaru paused briefly at the urgency in his beast's voice as it began to rock against its cage. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was simply livid that his beast was trying to stop him. _He wishes to take what is mine! _Sesshomaru barked at his beast, but the beast barked back. **Yes, but wait and see what the miko does! We wish to know. **

Sesshomaru ignored the command of his inner instincts and thrust them back into their cage before focusing entirely one the situation before him. He had no intention to stop to see how the miko would respond because it was unnecessary. All humans are inherently the same. Weak. Selfish. _Cowardly_. She had just been given the green light to escape with her kit, why wouldn't she leave?

Those musings were customary for the Western Lord whenever he was forced to think of humankind, and at times they were true, but at times they were also very, very wrong. This was proven so by Kagome.

Standing in a defensive position in front of the children once again, Kagome let out an immense blast of reiki that swirled around her like a dangerous magenta tornado, and the words that she practically spit at the contemptible half-breed dripped with venom.

"Over my dead body." Rushing forward with a speed that was nealry inhuman, Sesshomaru watched as even Naraku was thrust back from the force of her sudden attack as a barrage of holy energy blasts began to shower down on him like acid rain. The surprise on Naraku's face melted into fury as the attack actually managed to hit him, some even landing on his skin and he screamed in outrage as the reiki began to eat away at his newly acquired form.

A slithering black tentacle lashed out at the approaching miko and sent her halfway across the clearing before she could reach him, but Kagome wasn't down for long— a fact that Sesshomaru begrudgingly noted with surprise.

"Why can't you ever do as I please!" Naraku growled as another tentacle tied around her ankle before throwing her like a doll into the small river behind them.

A scream followed her into the water, but she didn't stay there long before Naraku once again pulled her small body into the air before slamming it down on the ground, right in front of the children who cried at her fallen form. Over their cries, Sesshomaru's sensitive ears could even hear the sickening squelch of her body bouncing off the ground with the force of her impact, but what surprised him was her composer as she rose up off the ground to glare at the despicable creature through watery eyes. Surprising the daiyoukai even more, she released a dark chuckle that made Sesshomaru and his best shiver from the feeling of dark camaraderie.

"Because, Naraku." Kagome whispered dangerously. "I'm not your little bitch." With that brazen declaration, Kagome reached for the tentacle still wrapped around her ankle and shot a surge of reiki through it and straight into Naraku.

Kagome's eyes shone with pride as her plan actually worked and Naraku began to scream in a rage filled pain as his lower half began to slowly disintegrate into grotesque lumps of lower level demon flesh. Sesshomaru continued to watch as the miko unsteadily rose to her feat, seemingly the unlikely victor of their battle, but his stare remained unfeeling. He had been slightly impressed at first, but the hanyou hadn't truly given much of a fight. If she had proper training she would have easily escaped such an ordeal unscathed. To him, her injuries were only further signs of her incompetency.

"You damn wench, who would desire a bitch like you!" Naraku grunted before he threw a chunk of disfigured purple flesh out from his arm. Kagome halted in her step as she realized the infected flesh was not flying at her but at the children. Not able to risk the chance, Kagome turned from Naraku to focus solely on the protective barrier surrounding Shippo and Rin and reinforced it with a boost of her reiki.

In her distracted state, Naraku drew a sword from beneath the baboon's pelt and charged for her, relishing in the look of alarm that flooded her eyes when she turned to find herself face to face with an oncoming blade.

Yet Kagome just closed her eyes in resignation and prepared to be skewered, but the pain never came. Instead, Kagome opened her eyes to find that another powerful being had entered the fray.

Sesshomaru saw the hanyou's underhanded means of distraction as he used the miko's concern for the children against her, and for a creature of honor, such as himself, even he couldn't allow the miko's honorable fight to be ended by such low brow tactics. Without a second thought, Sesshomaru took it upon himself to block the blade aiming straight for Kagome's heart.

Naraku and Kagome seemed both equally surprised by the turn of events Sesshomaru's presence presented, and this allowed Sesshomaru the opportunity to deliver a critical blow to the hollow chest of the spider. With a snarl of displeasure and pain, Naraku leapt backwards and out of range of the Killing Perfection's poisonous claws—not that it made much of a difference with the poison still coroding his skin.

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, protecting humans now are we? Well, well, well, like father like son, I see." The taunting hanyou chuckled in an attempt to cover the searing pain that continued to eat away at his borrowed flesh, but soon returned to glaring once he saw the stony expression on the daiyoukai's face. Just then, Naraku braced for another attack, but a shout was heard from the forrest that interrupted their fight.

"Kagome-chan," "Lady Kagome," and "Kagome," were shouted simultaneously from opposite sides of the clearing as the rest of the Inu-taichi joined the ever growing party. Sango's eyes found Kagome first and she blanched at how beaten the poor girl's body was. Her finger's clenched around Hiraikotsu's strap at the anger that filled her. Naraku had taunted her with her brother's presence only to steal him away once again all so he could dish out such abuse on her friend.

"Naraku, you scum!" Sango screamed as she began to lift her giant boomerang over her shoulder.

"Wait, Sango." Miroku's usually cheerful voice becoming instantly serious as he analyzed the current situation. "Analyze then attack. Remember, we cannot allow our emotions to rule us in the heat of battle." The monk's wise words made the slayer flinch, as that was exactly what she had done as she followed her brother away from the others. This had resulted in not only Kagome being left to fend for herself, but Miroku also suffering from the poison of the two Saimyosho he sucked into his wind tunnel to save her.

With a curt nod of acknowledgement, Sango put her weapon back down, but their alpha was not as collected.

"Naraku, you ass! What have you done to Kagome!" Kagome's eyes glanced away from the silvery strands of silky hair that had been blocking her view from the moment Sesshomaru decided to save her to look at Inuyasha. There he was, lips pulled back in a snarl as he held Tessaiga in front of him, true concern shinning in his amber eyes. Yes, Kagome knew Inuyasha cared about her, but that care was not the love she desired. Seeing him there now, fully prepared to fight for her, Kagome didn't know if it broke her heart more because he didn't love her, or because he did.

"Inuyasha," the sigh of his name and the sadness that tinged her scent wasn't noticeable to anyone in the clearing, except for the one currently standing right in front of her. In only a matter of hours, the foolish creature had made one such as he desire to do something as unseemly as rolling his eyes. _How can this sorry excuse of a creature be the same one who just faced death with no reservations? _**She is loyal. **His beast observed. _Silence!_

"So the hole gang is here, hmm?" Naraku observed rather reluctantly. He had thought he would have more time._ Oh, well, this can still serve its purpose. _Moving his crimson eyes away from the ranting hanyou, they slide back to the one who actually presented a threat.

"So…" Naraku drawled while cradling his chest. "You want this Bitch, Lord Sesshomaru? Fine, I was saving this for Kikyo and Inuyasha, but I guess this will be just as entertaining." With that said, the bastardly half-breed threw numerous projectiles in the direction of Sesshomaru and Kagome. Thinking this was only another diversionary tactic, the great demon lord merely flicked his sword at the oncoming obstacles, disintegrating them in a second with his youki.

"Kagura!" Naraku yelled, and Kagura came out of the shadows to answer Sesshomaru with a flick of her own wrist, channeling her wind to blow the particles Sesshomaru had just created back at him. The attack had no affect on him, however, and Sesshomaru could only raise a questioning brow at the retreating image of Naraku ridging away on the back of Kagura's feather.

"Enjoy your new Bitch, Sesshomaru-sama." Naraku sneered as he disappeared.

Everyone stood in silence for a short time, unsure of what to do or what had just transpired. Sesshomaru was fine, they could all see that, so what was that last attack, and what did Naraku mean he had been saving it for Kikyo and Inuyasha? The Inu-taichi all stared at one another with these very same questions in their eyes, but even more questions arose when Sesshomaru turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" A sweet yet quiet voice asked. Sesshomaru ignored the voice and the way it made his beast fidget in his cage and continued to walk. However, when he took another step away from his bastard of a brother's pack, he couldn't just pretend that the hand that had latched onto his sleeve wasn't real.

"Kagome, what in the hell are you doing? Just let the frosty bastard go!" Inuyasha barked as he began to march towards the miko that was currently still clutching the demon lord's haori.

_Yes, what are you doing, human?_ Sesshomaru's opinion on the current situation was displayed clearly to everyone by the ghost of a frown that marked his usually stoic face.

Everyone but Kagome. Open and loving blue eyes met impenetrable molten gold as she asked again, this time a little more boldly. "Where are you going?" The wench even had the audacity to tug on his sleeve.

With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Sesshomaru gave his arm a decisive jerk that had enough force to cause the miko previously hanging on to his person to stumble and relinquish her hold. The daiyoukai deemed that was answer enough for the presumptious miko, if she was not without brains, but he would be wrong.

Righting herself after the shock of being pulled so suddenly, Kagome was quick to reach out for the silver inu once more, this time grabbing the back of his haori. "Can I come with you?" A pleading voice called to him making his beast purr.

The question as well as her blatant disregard for her pestering limb's safety if she were to continue touching his person finally caught hold of his attention, along with his annoyance.

Turning on her with a speed only a daiyoukai could manage, Sesshomaru shackled her dainty wrist in a tightly clawed fist. "You will cease taking liberties with my person, wench, before I sever your limbs for your disrespect." The low growl was filled with painful promises and had the rest of the Inu-taichi inching forward, trying to figure out how to get their friend out of an obviously dangerous situation. Kagome, however, was still staring at Sesshomaru with big, doe-like eyes.

Sesshomaru breifly assessed the creature before him with mild interest before he noticed something peculiar. There was not a single thread of fear lacing her scent. Instead, the miko was staring up at him with openly trusting eyes, eyes that shone with a beautiful inner light that had the darkness in Sesshomaru's soul flinching back. _Why does she look at me this way? Did the foolish creature suffer mental damage from her battle? _

A rather surprised Inuyasha was also wondering what was happening. He, however, knew that look all too well and what it meant. It was the same look Kagome had been giving him for the past three years. _What the hell? _

"Wench, what is wrong with you? That's Sesshomaru, the ice prince with a stick up his ass, why are you clinging to him?" Sesshomaru arched a regal brow at the weak excuse of an insult and was about to deliver a definitive verbal lashing, but he was beaten to it.

"Shut it, Inuyasha. Don't insult Sesshomaru just because you know you could never match up to someone of his standing or power!" Kagome ended her reprimand with an impressive growl, at least, for a human.

Now everyone was confused as they looked between a baffled Inuyasha and Kagome who had gone back to staring at the intimidating daiyoukai, but the pieces were beginning to click for Sesshomaru. Looking down at the woman standing before him, eyes shinning like sapphires despite her wrist still being held captive by his claw, he was nearly certain he had the answer. He was 100% certain when Kagome spoke the damning words that revealed the true nature of Naraku's curse.

"I want to go with you, Sesshomaru. I love you."

* * *

**AN: There it is, the first chapter! I hope you liked it. I am still trying to get a feel on the individual character's mannerisms, so please let me know if anything sounds too out of character.**

**First, a few notes. **

Words in _italics=_inner thoughts of the person last referenced

Words in **Bold= **Sesshomaru's beast speaking

**Otherwise, that's it. ****I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did (or didn't), I would really appreciate it if you left a review! That way I can improve not only the story but my writing and I will stay motivated to continue this story. **

**Thanks for reading and I hope to see you again for the next chapter!**


	2. The Love Spell: Chapter 2

**I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. If I did, Sesshomaru's beast would have been a predominant and sassy character within the show. **

* * *

"I want to go with you, Sesshomaru. I love you."

A deafening silence filled the clearing.

"Kagome, what are you saying?" Inuyasha whispered, but for once the hanyou's voice did not garner her undivided attention.

Sesshomaru looked on in irritation. _Fate, you dare toy with this one?_ Sesshomaru could only feel his immense hatred for the bastard Naraku reach untold levels at the loathsome situation he had just forced upon one such as himself. The infatuation of the onna was palpable and he could feel his stomach role with his disgust. A disgust that was lost on Kagome.

"I love you, Sesshomaru." Kagome whispered with open devotion as she attempted to touch his cheek. Enraged, the daiyoukai used his hold on the opposite wrist to thrust the brazen onna away from his person. _How vile. _

Sesshomaru raised his deadly claws, fully intent on once again dousing the annoying female in his poison…but his arm wouldn't move. A feral snarl resounded in his head and was quickly followed by a bark of laughter that mocked him from within. **You can't harm her. **His beast taunted.

Kagome continued to gaze at the regal figure of the daiyoukai, her mind an interesting mix of spell intoxicated longing and the smaller part of logical miko that remained conscious—if only for one last flickering moment within her own mind. _He's gonna kill me! _The logical side tried to bust out of the confinement of her spell bound shackles, but it was to no avail. Instead, she watched in horror as the deadly claws that were still faintly illuminated green with the youkai's lethal poison remained poised for the kill, but that was the last thing she saw before the spell lulled her free spirit to sleep.

Sesshomaru was also confused as his right arm refused to do his bidding. It was incredibly rare for things to resist his command, let alone his own person! _What is this nonsense? _Sesshomaru barked at his beast for an explanation, but his beast also refused to cooperate with him (though Sesshomaru was slightly used to to the stubborn nature of his inner beast, and therefore wasn't too surprised). With a roll of its beastly red eyes and a huff of exasperation, the beast lowered his mighty head onto his front paws as he prepared to talk to his logical half—an endeavor he always found taxing due to his cold and stubborn nature.

Sesshomaru always refused the call of his instincts and therefore never became one with his beast when he reached puberty, as is custom of a youkai of his standing. You see, when a youkai is born, especially a strong daiyoukai, his power is manifested into the form of what is commonly referred to as the beast. The beast is, in essence, the youkai's natural instincts, the more primal side of any being, and is trained along side the young youkai so that by the time of maturity the beings can become one. This bond would allow the youkai to call forth the inner strength of his/her beast whenever necessary but still remain predominately in control.

Sesshomaru, however, refused the biological call to join with his beast, believing that one such as himself did not require the aid of anyone's strength but his own. In this way, Sesshomaru was truly a rare case of youkai because his power was truly insurmountable, making him probably one of the strongest youkai to walk the lands, but he also had the oddest relationship with his beast. Only calling to his beastial half in times when he deemed utterly necessary, Sesshomaru left his beast to spend the majority of his time locked in a small cage in the recesses of his mind, barely ever surfacing except in times of danger or uncontrollable anger. They were still one being, however, except a rift had formed over the centuries that could only be fixed if Sesshomaru learned to accept his beast and give over to his instincts—a feat that his beast had long lost hope for until sighting a rather curious and powerful miko.

**As I said, you cannot harm her**. Sesshomaru's beast annunciated every word slowly and carefully, as if speaking to a stubborn child. Sesshomaru snarled at the patronizing tone of his beast. _This Sesshomaru can do anything he pleases. _The arrogance of his logical half never ceased to amaze his beast. Yes, the beast was arrogant as well, in accordance with his strength, but Sesshomaru's arrogance was built on a foundation of not only his strength but pride deriving from status and tradition—things the beast thought useless.

**Except harm her. **The beast smirked at the mounting rage building up within his host. Yes, if anything this spell could be a wonderful little lesson for his logical half, a lesson that the world (and a certain little miko, the beast was sure) won't always bend to his will. **Listen, pup, I am no stranger to impulse or desire. From our conception, I had known such things as passed down to me though the ancestors of time. I cannot tell you why, but I can tell you that from this moment on you are incapable of harming the miko.**

Sesshomaru, for once, listened to the words of his beast. He knew the thing never lied, just like himself, but he could not understand what type of magic could be so strong as to make him unable to lay a single hand on _anyone_, let alone one as irksome as the wench before him._ Curse_. His logical mind whispered the one word and it all finally made sense. Of course Naraku's curse would have some affect on him, it was the only thing that made sense. Lowering his arm, Sesshomaru decided it was senseless to remain standing among the misfits his half-brother called pack and turned to leave as his beast remained present to watch in mild amusement.

Having no intention of being stopped or touched by the filthy human once more, Sesshomaru flashed over to his ward's side as he pulled his youki to gather at his feet, forming his signature youki cloud. Sesshomaru didn't even glance back as he took to the air, and he ignored the shouts of one very distraught miko and one very pissed off hanyou as he did so. _If the curse won't allow me to kill the cause of my annoyance, I can just avoid it_. Sesshomaru thought with a smirk as he flew with Rin over the trees. It's not like he had any desire or need to be near the miko for any reason otherwise.

However, the curse proved to be an impediment to his plans. Sesshomaru had only flown for a measly ten minutes or so when an aching throb in his chest caught his attention. Momentarily caught of guard by the intensity of the assault on his being, Sesshomaru's cloud faltered and he and Rin began to plummet to the ground. Rin let out a shocked gasp at the suddenness of the fall and the small sound managed to catch Sesshomaur's attention so he could focus long enough to make a safe landing. As his feet hit the ground, Sesshomaru set Rin down before clutching his remaining hand to his chest. He had not felt such pain in a long time, even Inuyasha cutting off his arm had not been so excruciating, and he didn't know what was the cause of the sudden onset.

**Hmmm, seems you also can't leave her side. **The beast related to him in a clearly amused voice. Panting and grinding his teeth, Sesshomaru wished for nothing more at the moment than to be able to separate himself from his beast and then annihilate it, but he reluctantly admitted that his other half was probably right. There was no other reason for him to be suffering from such symptoms, but that didn't mean he was going to give in.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" The small girl cried out as she looked at her invincible protector as he kneeled on the ground hunched over in obvious distress. "Sesshomaru-sama, what's wrong?" Sesshomaru glanced sideways to see that Rin had tears running down her face and her hands were clenched in front of her as if she was trying to keep herself from reaching out to him.

**Now look what you've done. You've upset the pup. **_Quite! _Sesshomaru needed to think. Usually, no emotion could slip past his control to manifest itself into a physical expression, and his inability to hide his suffering only spoke volumes of how deep this affliction ran. _I can barely breathe let alone fly back to the castle in my condition._

The beast listened to Sesshomaru's inner turmoil for a few more minutes before he finally got fed up with how hard-headed he was being. Deciding his other half might need a kick in the ass in the right direction, he offered some advice.

**Why not return to the miko? **The beast started only to be interrupted by an indignant snarl. Rolling his eyes, he continued. **You're right, in this condition you cannot return to the castle or you risk the chance of being perceived as weak. Instead, why not return to the miko and take her with us to the Dragon Priestess? **

Sesshomaru paused at the name. _Dragon Priestess? _He wondered. Yes, that could work. The dragonness was extremely old and extremely powerful and he had heard she specialized in spells and curses, but that didn't mean he had to bring her along…

As if sensing what Sesshomaru was thinking, his beast thought to nip that thought in the butt before it fully developed. **It will only slow our progress and drag out the pain if you don't take the miko. Plus, there's a chance the Priestess will need to examine her as will since she is the main carrier of the curse. **

Again, Sesshomaru didn't like it, but he had to admit the beast had a point. Sighing, Sesshomaru made the mental decision to go back for the miko, and as soon as that decision was made he felt the pain in his heart lessen, at least enough for him to breathe.

Sesshomaru then straightened his spine and, as gracefully as he could, he stood. "Come, Rin." The great inu lord had once again regained his composure and was able to say the two words without panting. Seeing him once again on his feet, Rin gratefully ran to the daiyoukai and gripped the billowing cloth of his hakama. Sesshomaru looked down at his ward as she clung to him with obvious relief and even he had to admit that she was an exception to his opinion of her despicable race as he laid a firm hand on the top of her head and once again summoned his cloud.

Meanwhile with the Inu-taichi…

* * *

"Kagome-chan," Sango's voice was filled with concern as she laid a hand on the trembling back of their favorite miko, and the remainder of the group all mirrored her concern in their eyes, even Inuyasha.

Inuyasha knew he couldn't love Kagome the way she wanted, he wasn't as stupid as everyone seemed to believe, but that didn't mean he didn't love her in his own way. Yes, he was an idiot who hurt her too many times to count and he was a coward because he couldn't tell her to her face that he was incapable of giving her what she wanted, the only thing she had ever asked of him.

In all honesty, he was hoping she would wake up and realize she was too good for him. Kagome was too light, too pure, to be with someone like him. Even Kikyo, though a pure and powerful miko, had a light slightly dimmed by her desire to be free from the jewel. Kagome wasn't like that. She was goodness incarnate. She was the embodiment of kindness. And, most importantly, she was his best friend. He had already experienced how easily romantic love could be corrupted and lead to the loss of those close to you with Kikyo, and he couldn't risk losing Kagome the same way—he simply refused. No, he didn't deserve her, and he was just waiting for her to realize it so they could go back to being the best friends he knew they were fated to be.

Now, seeing his best friend falling apart on the ground, Inuyasha had no idea what to do. Desperately looking at Miroku, his eyes turned hard as he tried to figure things out. "What the fuck is going on here, Miroku?!"

The monk also had little more understanding of the situation than his hanyou friend, yet, he did posses a greater deductive reasoning than the hothead next to him. Furrowing his brows, the monk's thoughts led him to one conclusion.

"It must be some part of Naraku's spell, and, as Lady Kagome was fine until Sesshomaru-sama departed, I would venture that her sudden pain is related to the demon lord's absence." Miroku had a foreboding sense of dread well within him as his own observation hit him because, if he was right, that would leave them with some very troublesome matters in the foreseeable future.

"Houshi, what kind of spell could cause such phantom pains as these," Sango tried to keep her voice calm and composed as the monk's had been, but her body flinched back as she was interrupted by a heart-wrenching sob that shook the fragile being she held in her arms. "Not to mention Kagome-chan's strange behavior before…" Sango trailed off as the sounds of despair suddenly stopped.

Kagome brought her face off the ground and quickly followed suit with the rest of her body. Her head shot up in the direction Sesshomaru had flown and relief filled the little miko as she saw her beloved approaching.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome ran towards the icy lord as soon as his feet touched solid ground, and, as if expecting this, Sesshomaru unsheathed his sword and directed it at her. No, his body couldn't lash out against her, but the blade would hopefully deliver the message that her approach wasn't welcome.

Whether the message was delivered or not, Kagome did stop, but she remained standing before the daiyoukai with a big, goofy smile on her face.

* * *

"Sesshomaru, you're back." Sesshomaru glanced at the onna before him and tried to observe what changes the curse had brought. Besides the obvious infatuation that seemed to dictate her actions as well as her facial expressions, Sesshomaru and his beast noted some other small changes. For one, her aura had shifted. The usual sensation of reiki that tingled along his skin when in her presence was absent.

Instead, her reiki seemed to hedge around his person, to caress along the edges of himself and his youki. He expected this to be slightly uncomfortable or perhaps an added annoyance, but instead her aura seemed to just be a gentle presence, a flickering warmth, along the peripheral of his conscious. Seeing as this could be easily ignored, he went to the next assessment that he would definitely consider an annoyance.

**Her scent has been affected. **Sesshomaru and his beast noted at the same time. Though neither of them could exactly remember the miko's original scent, as Sesshomaru had never bothered to focus on it or decipher her base scent hidden under the usually negative emotions she always expressed in his presence, they could tell the sickeningly sweet scent radiating off her was certainly not it. He would have noticed such a repugnant smell miles away regardless of his intent, he was sure. The horrid smell reminded him of the overpowering smell of cheap perfume that taints the halls of those low level brothels his men sometimes venture into after their patrols.

Sesshomaru quickly crinkled his nose in disgust as the smell registered in full force, but he knew he would have to deal with it to free himself of the curse. With one last sweep of her face, Sesshomaru felt he was missing something else, something glaringly obvious. There was something very much off about the miko as she gazed at him, and that is not referring to how odd it was to see such a loving gaze directed at his person from anyone besides Rin. No, there was something else wrong with her, her eyes particularly. He felt he was about to discover what it was but his inner analysis was interrupted by the rantings of an irate Inuyasha.

"Sesshomaru, you ass. Stay away from Kagome!" The whelp growled at him as he sprinted behind the still transfixed miko to grab her around the waist and try and forcibly remove her.

Kagome immediately began to resist the hanyou's attempts, and Sesshomaru had to suppress the smirk he felt coming over him as she actually gave the hanyou some trouble.

"Let. Go. Inuyasha!" Kagome began to grunt as she fought against the arms restraining her. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her and refused to stop pulling her back until they were both a good distance away from the silently observing demon lord.

"Trust me, half-breed. I have no desire to be close to your wench." Sesshomaru retorted in a bored tone. "However, this Sesshomaru will be taking the miko."

"What?" Disbelief and confusion were clear on the faces of the Inu-taichi, and Inuyasha directed his confusion into an aggravated growl.

"What shit are you spouting? You just said you didn't want her." Inuyasha wouldn't let his best friend be subjected to his asshole of a half-brother. No matter what was going on.

Sesshomaru inwardly sighed at the limited intelligence of the forever stain of his father's lineage. "It seems the obvious needs to be spelled out for one as intellectually challenged as yourself, half-breed. The spider's curse has inconvenienced this Sesshomaru, so I will be taking the miko to a powerful priestess to rid myself of sed inconvenience."

Sesshomaru's voice remained cold and emotionless the entire time, and to the rest of them he sounded like he was treating Kagome as a parasite he needed to exterminate, but Kagome became ecstatic at his words.

"I'll go! I will help you, Sesshomaru!" Her efforts to free herself were renewed and Inuyasha winced when her elbow lodged itself in his stomach, but Kagome didn't seem to notice or care.

Sesshomaru sneered at this outcome. He kew her friends would resist him, but if the miko herself put up enough of a fight he might get just what he wanted, he even internally smirked at the thought that her current self might even purify the half-breed to get to him. Sheathing his sword, Sesshomaru removed his hand from Rin's head and looked her directly in her eyes.

"Come, Miko." Sesshomaru spoke in his monotone fashion as he motioned for her to come to him, but Kagome's face split into a delighted smile. Now, Inuyasha was truly having a hard time confining her as she had begun to glow a slightly pinkish hue as her reiki rose just beneath her skin. It burned, but he would rather be purified than allow her to walk into Sesshomaru's arms.

Feeling the same, Miroku snuck up to the struggling pair and quickly stuck a sutra to Kagome's head. The little miko stopped her struggling and puzzled blue eyes looked up at him as if asking what he could possibly be doing, but before she could ask he muttered a single word.

"Sleep." Miroku released the sutra's charm and everyone in the clearing, well everyone but Sesshomaru, released a sigh when they saw Kagome's head fall forward in a deep slumber.

"Now," Miroku clapped his hands and turned to meet the narrowed gaze of a rather displeased inu. "I understand, Sesshomaru-sama, that you wish to relinquish yourself from the rather unusual, erm, side effects of this spell, but one such as yourself must understand that we cannot simply hand her over to you. Lady Kagome is not only our precious friend, but also a crucial member of our pack who we are honor bound to protect. That being said, I do believe we can still find a happy medium that is mutually beneficial for both parties involved."

Sesshomaru glared at the meddlesome monk who had just gotten in his way, but deigned it did no harm to listen. If he did not like the monk's solution, he could just take the miko by force.

Seeing that the demon lord was still focused on him, Miroku bellied his fear and tried to make his following argument as appealing and persuasive for the Western Lord as possible. "You see, Sesshomaru-sama, we do not fully understand the nature of Naraku's love spell and, knowing Naraku, I would wager it will not be a matter of simple infatuation. That being the case, if we were to travel together to this powerful priestess you speak of, we can take care of controlling Kagome and keeping her from, well, troubling you. We have travelled with her for a long time and know how to handle her emotional state and if others are around perhaps she will not focus entirely on you." Miroku let his words hang in the air as he felt any more would be perceived as babbling, and the daiyoukai at least looked to be considering the arrangement.

Sesshomaru was indeed considering what the monk had proposed. True to his word, he had no intention of being near the onna any more than necessary. In that consideration, the other's presence, though nearly as insufferable, would be welcome if it meant he didn't have to deal with _her_.

"Acceptable." With that one word, Sesshomaru turned to summon Jaken with a pulse of his youki. _Where has the useless creature wandered to now? _

"Miroku what the hell! That bastard isn't traveling with us!" Inuyasha remained crouched on the ground as his body curled possessively around the now peacefully sleeping Kagome. "No. No way!" His doggy ears were twitching with agitation over the whole situation, but it only took a scowl from Sango for him to stop his ranting and begin the pouting the Inu-taichi were accustomed to when he did not get his way.

"I know you're not happy about this arrangement, Inuyasha, but we need to do what is best for Lady Kagome." Miroku gave Inuyasha a sympathetic pat on the back. He truly did feel bad for Inuyasha as he knew how much he detested his elder half-sibling, but this was the only thing they could do.

Resigning to the fact that the monk was right, like usual, Inuyasha gave a mumbled curse as he lifted Kagome more securely into his arm.

"Fine. Then there is no need to waste anymore time here. Let's go back to camp." Inuyasha didn't even turn around as he addressed the cold inuyoukai to his back, "Oi, bastard. If you hurt Kagome, I swear I will rip your heart out and show it to you."

Inuyasha's threat instilled no fear in Sesshomaru, on the contrary, he internally rolled his eyes at the very idea the whelp could harm him. However, he didn't understand how the fool continued to act so protective of the miko when it was known even by him that the half-breed still chased after the undead priestess.

_Well, that is no concern of mine. _

* * *

The group had been traveling for two days and it had been a tense affair since the outset. Kagome had woken up the following morning and everyone was discouraged to find the spell's effects had not lessened in the slightest.

Kagome was fixated on Sesshomaru, but at the very least she had stopped trying to touch him. This was the result of Sesshomaru giving the miko some very straight forward rules to gain his "affection."

_**—Flashback—**_

"Sesshomaru!" The singsong voice of the miko that seemed to be courting death broke through the tense silence of the evening as she once again reached for his hand. Quickly whipping his arm and person out of her reach, Sesshomaru sent her a frosty glare as he snarled.

"Cease this unseemly behavior, Miko." Sesshomaru used the same tone he utilized when commanding his army. He hoped the fierceness of his words would disuade her in some capacity, but he continued to be proven wrong by the spell-bound miko.

A light giggle answered him, leaving Sesshomaru to suffer an intense moment of confusion and, for the moment, left him not knowing what to do.

**Try a different approach. **His beast suggested. _How so? The creature knows not how to submit. _The beast shook his head at his other half. It was unfortunate the fool only knew how to force cooperation through displays of dominance. **She is essentially a selfless being, her desire for you would be linked with her desire to please you. Just tell her what actions will ingratiate herself to you. If they aren't ridiculous requests like never speaking to us, she may just acquiesce. **

Sesshomaru thought on the matter and believed it would be worth the try.

"Miko," Sesshomaru stood firm before her as he spoke her title. "You wish to make this one feel affection towards you?" He watched as she flushed a light pink at his blunt way of phrasing it, but she still nodded in the affirmative.

"If one such as yourself desires to even have a chance at winning this one's affections you must follow three rules. These rules are nonnegotiable and absolute do you understand." After a second small nod of her head Sesshomaru listed three things he believed would be the most pertinent to keeping his annoyance at the situation to a minimum.

"First, this one does not allow anyone to take liberties with his person or act in an overly familiar manner in his presence, and you shall refrain from doing so henceforth. Second, words of affection are not appreciated nor desired to be heard. They are only weak one's shallow way to force their emotions on others and this one will stand for no such nonsense." Sesshomaru paused there to make sure the miko understood the gravity of his words so far. The miko was still looking up at him with an attentive gaze so he continued with the one that had been bothering him since before the curse had even begun. "Lastly, you, as an insignificant human, will cease using this one's name. If you have to refer to one such as myself, you will do so in the proper manner that shows the difference in the degree of our social standing and refer to this one as Sesshomaru-sama. Do you understand?"

Sesshomaru and the Inu-taichi all waited and watched as Kagome processed the information laid out before her. No, she didn't seem thrilled by the rules as all the Inu-taichi could attest to how much of an affectionate being Kagome was by nature, but if it meant she could get closer to him…

"Will me doing those three things make you happy, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome asked softly, and she was answered by a slight pause from Sesshomaru then a single nod followed by his customary, "hnn". At the prospect of getting closer to the daiyoukai that had wormed his way into Kagome's loving heart, she quickly agreed to the daiyoukai's request with a flash of a satisfied smile.

**_—End Flashback—_**

"Here you go, Sesshomaru-sama." A soft voice said, pulling the daiyoukai from his meditation. He had heard her approaching, but he had hopped that she would have stopped this foolish need to always be close to him—a hope he was beginning to realize was in vain as their travels neared the third day.

"I am sorry to disturb you," The soft voice continued as the daiyoukai continued to ignore the girl. "But I got you some dinner and was wondering. Well, you must get hungry sometime, right? So if you don't mind, or if it isn't offensive to your taste, um, would you like some fish?" Kagome's blathering had irked the daiyoukai nearly as much as the sickly sweet scent of the spell along with her nervousness that made his sensitive nose itch.

Slowly opening his golden eyes, the reclining figure of the Western Lord leveled a heavy glare on Kagome as she held out her hands to him. Without even looking at the food he said, "Remember this well, Miko, as this one does not repeat himself, but I have no need nor desire to partake in anything your filthy human hands have touched."

Kagome's eyes widened as she muttered an apology before returning to her friends, but he could see the pain in her eyes before she left. _Good, maybe that will keep her advances at bay._

He was wrong. The very next day, Kagome approached him in much the same manner as before, babbling words and all, and when he threw her a withering glare, she smiled back regardless before straightening her posture before him.

"I know, I know. You said you wouldn't eat anything I have touched, so I didn't touch them!" Kagome practically beamed as she laid a bundle at his feet, happy with her clever solution.

Sesshomaru glanced down, curious despite himself due to his inu nature, and his inner beast commended her for being so resourceful in her efforts to find a loop hole in yesterday's words. There before him were two rabbit carcasses and one pheasant. The kills were not impressive in size, but even he would acknowledge the precision of her kills as each one was only shot once and threw the heart. From what he knew of the miko, he could only guess that such accuracy was not in an effort to display her skills, as would be common in youkai culture, as much as it was a means to limit the suffering of the beast she killed. Regardless, he would not accept them. Otherwise, the insufferable onna would get the foolish notion that he was accepting her advances. Before he could reject them or decide to ignore her completely, she said something that had his blood boiling.

"I hunted for them myself. Would you please accept them?" Kagome said with a bright and kind smile that quickly turned to confusion as she was suddenly flung against a tree with a strangling hold on her neck.

"Impudence!" Sesshomaru snarled in Kagome's face as he barred his deadly fangs.

A blank look crossed Kagome's face as she realized something she had done had angered the daiyoukai, or more like infuriated him.

"How dare you be so bold!" The silver inu continued as he got even closer, red bleeding into his eyes.

"Wait, Sesshomaru-sama, I don't understand. What did I do?" Kagome cried as she tried to put a comforting hand over the one now restricting her air flow, only to have it tighten.

"You know what you did, wench!" The disdain and disgust were apparent on Sesshomaru's face as he dropped Kagome to the ground and raised his claws as if her was once again going to try and defy the spell's bonds and deliver a fatal blow.

"Wait, Sesshomaru-sama!" Sango again was the first to overcome her shock at the situation and she quickly utilized her slayer knowledge of demon's to piece together what had angered the daiyoukai. The group had been babysitting the lovesick miko for the past four days, but they had quickly realized they couldn't always keep her away from him. Instead, they tried to occupy her time with them as much as possible and allowed her to sometimes wander over to the daiyoukai to make a small nuisance of herself before she would return to them as if nothing had happened. Yeah, it wasn't the best system, as was evident by the current situation, but none of them could have figured something like this to have happened.

"She really doesn't know! Kagome is not well versed in the ways of youkai!" Sango pleaded with the raging demon lord in the hope of soothing both him and his beast with the knowledge that Kagome had truly not intended to insult them. All the while a spell-bound Kagome remained confused as her questioning gaze move to the slayer's. "Um, well, Kagome. To hunt for someone of the opposite sex and asking them to accept your offerings, in youkai culture at least, is equivalent to asking for the other's permission to court and possibly mate with them." The slayer explained slowly as she knew her friend had no idea of the inner workings of youkai culture and the ridiculous complexity of courting rituals.

Kagome blinked once, and then twice, at the news. "Mating…" Kagome whispered and as her eyes met with Sesshomaru's pinkish gaze, Kagome immediately became an embarrassed mess as her skin was dyed red from her head to her toes. "No, no. That's not, I mean, I wouldn't. It's not like I intend to.." Kagome broke off with a small whimper as she bit down hard on her cheek. Already beyond mortified, Kagome decided explaining wasn't going to get her anywhere. Instead, she quickly bent down to scoop up the now clothe bound kills before escaping to the other side of camp.

As she passed Sesshomaru, who was still sending her a demeaning glare, Kagome blushed impossibly deeper. "I'm sorry." Is all she managed to say as she passed him.

He should have killed her. He should have ripped her heart out and stomped on it then and there, literally, but he didn't. Despite the overpowering stink of the spell, Sesshomaru could easily scent the mortification and honesty in her words when both she and the slayer expressed her lack of knowledge for what she had done. It didn't make her act excusable, far from it, it was just he didn't desire to interact with her anymore than absolutely necessary so he decided to let her wallow in her own embarrassment as punishment.

* * *

It was the fifth day of traveling when the group finally got a break from the overly weird and uncomfortable situation they had all found themselves trapped in.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha bellowed as he levied his heavy sword against the moth demon's barrier, and with that the fight seemed to be over. The moth demon had come to them just as the sun had fallen and made a pest of himself to try and get the chunk of the jewel the hung around Kagome's neck. Strangely enough, this had been the first time since Sesshomaru joined the group that they had encountered a demon brave, or really stupid enough, to attack them.

Sesshomaru and his small pack had remained along the fringes of the Inu-taichi's group for the past five days, and despite Kagome and Shippo (who liked to play with Rin) who would sometimes wander in-between the two groups, there was very little interaction

It was odd for the Inu-taichi. Inuyasha and Kagome bickered back and forth like they usually did, but as soon as Sesshomaru's name was mentioned or his presence felt, Inuyasha would have to watch as his best friend became transfixed on someone he hated nearly as much as Naraku, his own half-brother. The slayer and monk also found it unsettling how Kagome went from being almost completely normal to head over heels obssessed with the emotionless demon lord. It was just so wrong in their eyes. Kagome's love was normally so pure and selfless, but to see Kagome's "love" for Sesshomaru, it was obvious to all that knew her that her behavior was unnatural.

Kagome was by no means a damsel in distress, well, not anymore, but she became spineless in front of Sesshomaru. She never spoke back to him. She never challenged his reasoning. Hell, she never even really talked to him! The past five days had been more like Kagome followed Sesshomaru with blind devotion. Every day once camp was set, Kagome would sit as close to the daiyoukai as he would allow and then simply stare at him—like she was basking in his presence. If the Inu-taichi had to describe the spell's effects on Kagome in one word, it would have to be CREEPY.

Like today, for example. As Inuyasha dealt with the small threat the moth youkai presented, Kagome was fully in tune with the battle. She watched Inuyasha shatter the moth's barrier and held her arrow poised for any underhanded tactics as Inuyasha sliced through the gross, fuzzy lump of a demon with Tessaiga. When that was over, usually Kagome would rush over to make sure Inuyasha and the others were all ok, but a strong wind had chosen that moment to blow a stream of silver silk into her peripheral vision.

Seeing the silky strands dance in the wind, Kagome's switch was flipped and she turned to approach the demon lord who had been observing the fight. This, however, led to trouble.

Through the gasping and gurgling of the dying bug, a putrid smell wafted into the air as a last act of vengeance the moth spat out a stream of steaming acid. Kagome had turned only briefly initially, worried the smell would offend her loved one's nose, but quickly became alert when she saw where the stream of flesh melting acid was heading.

"Shippo!" Kagome screamed as she flew over to the kit that was closest to her as the others were spread out in a semi-circle from their fight with the demon. Not caring for her own well being, Kagome threw her body around the shaking fox, knowing that if her barrier didn't rise in time then at least her body would be his shield. Luckily, such bodily sacrifice was not needed as Kagome's barrier did in fact rise up in time to block the searing acid and Shippo was very much safe in her arms.

The Inu-taichi shouted for her and rushed over to where she still held the young kit, an odd sense of de ja vu invading her system as she held him close. However, she ignored it and she began to plant quick kisses all over the kit's forehead, nose, and cheeks.

Shippo giggled at her antics. He was obviously used to such behavior from Kagome but over the course of the past five days she had been decidedly less attentive and affectionate with him and, though he might protest sometimes, he had really missed the warmth her motherly love gave him.

"Mama?" Shippo asked hesitantly, looking up into her crystal blue gaze.

"Yes, honey?" Kagome smiled down at him and Shippo felt it. He couldn't explain what it was he was feeling, but he felt the spell's effects were gone and that Kagome was looking at him for the first time really in five days.

"Oh, Mama!" Shippo cried as he lunged to wrap his arms around Kagome's neck just as the rest of the group circled around them.

Kagome began to laugh as her kit snuggled into the curve of her neck and the rest of the group had an odd sense that something was different. Her laugh was more natural, more clear, than it had been since the spell had been placed. Looking down at her, Sango was the first to try and see if their hunches were correct.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango began hesitantly, not wanting her question to take away from the first moment of clarity her friend seemed to experience in some time but needing to ask. "What do you think of Sesshomaru-sama?"

Kagome looked up from where she had been playing with Shippo's hair lovingly, a question clear in her eyes.

"The pompous ass of the century? What about him?" Kagome's words were uttered with no trace of the "love" from the spell. They were simply stated as a matter of opinion, but that wouldn't explain the shell shocked looks on Kagome's friends' faces. _I don't understand. What's their problem? _

Needing to push the test a step further, Inuyasha kneeled down and looked straight in Kagome's eyes. Yes, something was different. Her physical appearance hadn't shifted much from the spell, but the way her eyes naturally shone with a flicker of fire, a spark of passion, or the inner glimmer of her resounding light was missing the past couple days. Now, though, looking in the depths of her tranquil blues, Inuyasha gave a tiny smile to see the light had returned, but he didn't want to get his hopes up so before he could celebrate he took one clawed finger and pointed to something behind her.

"Inu, what are you…" Kagome turned her head away from her friends to see the mighty Western Lord standing only a few paces from their group. The same open blue eyes that had been staring at him, oggling him more like it, over the past five days were once again locked on his form. Sapphires met liquid honey and for a moment all was still, but then…

"Why in the hell are you here, Sesshomaru?"

* * *

**AN: Hey everyone! Thank you for reading my story! I hope you are enjoying the development so far, and I'd love to hear your opinions or comments, so please review if you have the time!**

**Also, a quick shout out to Dreamerkins, thank you for being the first to comment on this story! I really appreciated it and it motivated me to get this chapter out faster than I had intended. I hope I didn't disappoint. **

**That's it for now, so I'll see ya'll next time!**


	3. The Love Spell: Chapter 3

**Ok, once again for those in the back, I DON'T OWN INUYASHA. **

* * *

"Why the hell are you here, Sesshomaru?" The miko's accusatory tone and the obvious lack of affection caught the attention of everyone present and the majority were incredibly pleased with it, but one in particular was not so appreciative of the miko's bold words.

"Insolent wretch! How dare you address My Lord, the mighty Lord Sesshomaru, son of the legendary Toga-sama of the Silver Inu, in such a disrespectful tone. I shall skin your worthless hide for your discourtesy!" The shrill declaration by the Western Lord's retainer made everyone present flinch, especially the demons with their overly sensitive ears. Waving the Staff of Two Heads with his bulbous and sickly yellow eyes fixed on the offensive miko, Jaken charged forward. His treck, however, was stopped with a single command from his master's mouth.

"Silence." The demon lord was busy analyzing the apparent changes in the miko who sat before him, and he didn't need the ear splitting voice of the kappa interrupting him.

Yes, there were changes within the onna. The most obvious was that her lack of affection for him was clear in both her scent and her demeanor. He noted immediately how her blue eyes were wary and looked at him with both anger and annoyance, a fact that he thought was presumptuous on her part but he digressed.

The next thing he noticed, practically in relief, was that her scent was no longer overpowered by the rancid smell of the curse, but this led to a dangerous discovery. **Hmm, delicious.** Sesshomaru's beast purred as they were both assaulted with an intoxicating scent, a scent like none Sesshomaru had ever encountered._ How can a dirty human smell so, so…._?

**Heavenly. **His beast supplied with a content rumbling deep in his doggy chest as he pawed at his cage. Sesshomaru hated it, but he had to agree, reluctantly. The base of her scent was a very relaxing combination of green tea and jasmine with a hint of something pure like rain water. It reminded him of his lands and had none of the stench of death that all other mortals carried. He even enjoyed how her agitated state led to her baser scent to be slightly over powered by the spike of her reiki which sparked like fire.

As he was processing all this new information, Kagome just kept staring at him, waiting for an answer.

* * *

_Why does he keep staring at me? _Kagome couldn't help but feel creeped out by how the demon lord's golden, cat-like eyes remained fixed on her. Deciding this was getting her no where, she collected herself and stood with Shippo still firmly in her arms. Yes, Sesshomaru had calmed to a degree with the blood lust since he gave up on taking the Tessaiga, and he must not be all bad since he allowed the little ball of energy, Rin, to travel with him, but that doesn't mean she trusted the powerful youkai.

"What do you keep staring at?" Kagome asked in irritation. His blatant staring was starting to piss her off. The silver inu's hardly there look of bewilderment vanished as his stony mask fell back into place at the rude way in which the miko was addressing him.

"Hn," The inu gave his customary response before looking over the stiff posture and defensive stance of the miko—clear signs of her return to her normal character around him—before deciding her desire to protect the kit must have overpowered whatever curse the half-breed spider had cast.

Not bothering to answer either of her questions, Sesshomaru turned away from Kagome with a dignified flick of his sleeve and began to walk away from the Inu-taichi. "Come, Rin. Jaken."

Kagome watched with minor annoyance over his self-absorbed behavior, but she was used to it and fighting would only make him stay longer. Plus, he might just kill her for daring to insult one such as _him_.

"Whatever." Kagome muttered under her breath before turning to see ecstatic smiles on all her friends faces. "What's gotten into you guys?" Kagome laughed at the ridiculously goofy smile Inuyasha wore and the relieved expressions of both Sango and Miroku as her kit continued to nuzzle the sider of her neck. For some reason, things felt right, while also feeling like they hadn't been right for quite some time. That was her last coherent thought before a pain like no other shot threw her heart.

"Ahh!" Kagome cried as she stumbled to her knees, holding Shippo close to keep him from falling out of here embrace. "What the hell is this?" Kagome sobbed as she once again felt an iron hot poker pierce her chest. Tears filled her eyes and the pain actually made her start to feel dizzy.

"Oh, no." Sango lamented as she crouched down to, once again, hold a trembling miko in her arms.

"Oh no, indeed. It seems the curse has not been lifted." Miroku's violet eyes expressed just how disappointed the news made him. He should have known Naraku's curse wouldn't be so easily dealt with, if anyone should've known, it should've been him.

"What... Curse?" Kagome panted out between clenched teeth. She had no idea what was going on. There is no reason her heart should be experiencing a pain even greater than when she decided to give up on Inuyasha.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha's voice told of his desire to comfort her, but they all knew Inuyasha had no idea how to comfort a crying woman. He would gladly bear her pain if he could, but since that was impossible he just stood there dumbly, watching the pain shake her from within.

"Mama." The little kit patted his only parental figure on the arm as he tried to sooth her. His animal instincts were young and inexperienced but they were still screaming at him to do something for her, so he moved to rub his cheek against hers, feeling the warm tears that had escaped her tightly closed eyes.

"That assessment seems to be correct, Monk." The deep baritone that interrupted the helpless Inu-taichi was followed by a shuddering gasp of relief from the miko. Glazed over eyes, still hazy from the lingering memory of the pain, once again met impenetrable gold. "To the displeasure of this Sesshomaru."

Kagome blinked the tears out of her eyes and took a good long look at the youkai who had just returned to them. She saw his silver hair flow like a river of silk down to the back of his knees, framing his imposing image in a halo of moonlit silver. Regal brows sat under an lavender crescent moon that proclaimed his proud heritage as a member of the House of the Moon. The moon was not the only demonic markings he bore as magenta stripes lined his steely gaze while two more graced each cheek. The visage of the inuyoukai screamed power and pride as he looked down his nose at the miko, but for once she saw more than that. She saw a noble aura that bordered on celestial in his pristine white robes only colored by his trademark honey comb design that bled red on the mostly white silk. How could such a magnificent being exist? How could perfection be vivified to such a degree?

_Wait, stop right there missy!_ Kagome broke from her trance as an internal shout nearly blasted her ear drums from the inside out. "Ugh!" Kagome grunted as she pushed her hands against the sides of her head where it felt like two formidable foes were facing off. _What's going on? _

Kagome screwed her eyes shut to delve deeper into her subconscious to examine what exactly was happening to her—a handy trick brought to you by everyone's favorite village obaa-sama, Kaede. What she found was confusing to say the least.

A foreign energy of deep purple and black swirled like an angry vortex against a pink barrier of her reiki—one her subconscious must have erected. The pain in her head must have been the physical manifestation of her subconscious' struggle to erect such a barrier because even know she could see her reiki working hard to maintain the…_What the hell is that?_

Kagome's mind spun as she tried to get a closer look, maybe even see if she could make a conscious effort to help her reiki expel the intruding energy, but she could already feel her mind shutting her out as her time was up. Since she was knew to the whole "inner sight" thing, she could never manage it for long. With a snap, she was back in the clearing, surrounded by concerned friends and an ever disinterested demon lord.

"Alright," Kagome grumbled as she used all her energy to stand back up on her own two feet. "Someone better start explaining what's going on here. Why is there some purple-black cloud of energy locked in my head, and what" Kagome pointed an accusatory finger over at the silently observing Sesshomaru. "does it have to do with _him_?" Kagome practically barked, making Sesshomaru raise a single brow (his only usual form of expression) and his beast to release a hearty chuckle.

**Now that, is an Alpha Bitch if I have ever seen one. **

* * *

"You mean to tell me I've been chasing that bastard's tail for the last five days thanks to a curse Naraku cast!" Kagome shouted in outrage. She couldn't believe it! The last thing she remembered, Mr. Demon Lord was about to liquify her!

Oh, she was going to kill Naraku. No, not just kill, she was going to purify his soul to the end of time right after she kicks his ass for playing with her heart—she's had enough of that already, thank you very much!

The group had decided it was better to set up camp before launching into the details of what had transpired the last five day, and were they sure happy they had. Kagome's aura was chaotic to say the least, but she was putting in a mighty fine effort to keep from exploding since she didn't want to blow away all their supplies.

Sango and Miroku watched from their spot on a fallen log as Inuyasha sat high up on a tree limb with a quivering Shippo buried in his long white hair. No, they weren't really afraid of the little miko's outburst per se because they had trust she wouldn't let it go to far, but they had never seen her so livid before and decided it was best to be out of range. For safety reasons, of course.

Sesshomaru's little pack had also set up camp a short distance from the Inu-taichi, and therefore could hear and see the raging of the upset miko. Jaken had squaked as a particularly painful whip of reiki lashed across his cheek when he began to insult the "emotional creature" known as Kagome, and now he also stood out of range, cowering behind the beefy legs of Ah Un. On top of the dragon, little Rin watched in awed fascination as Kagome threw her tantrum. Like the other Inu-taichi, Rin wasn't worried that the Miko-sama would hurt her so she had no fear in her eyes as, to her, the swirling storm of magenta light simply looked quite pretty and she enjoyed watching it.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was at the end of his leash. "Stop this tantrum! You're behaving like an sniveling pup and you forget your place. You will control your emotions and your reiki and you WILL cease referring to this one as anything other than his proper title, Sesshomaru-sama!"

Seshomaru had braved the storm of reiki so that he could be in the woman-child's face when he barked his command. This was completely unacceptable behavior and, if the others could not control her, he would make it known that such behavior would not be tolerated in his presence.

All was quiet as Kagome's focused moved on from her anger at Naraku's cure to the narcissistic lord that stood looking down at her like she was the epitome of trash.

"Sama?" Kagome's voice had returned to a normal volume, and all those around except Sesshomaru knew that was a dangerous sign."Sesshomaru-_sama_? You insist I call you that?" Kagome's eyes widened at the unbelievably arrogant being that stood before her. _Well, you might have the looks of a god, buddy, but that doesn't make you one!_

"Of course, it is as to be expected to distinguish between our vastly different standings. Now, behave yourself, Miko." Sesshomaru's face remained its usual impenetrable mask, but Kagome could feel the utter contempt he held for humanity within those words, and this made the little miko even more furious.

As Sesshomaru turned to walk away, thinking the matter had been settled, Kagome spoke a single sentence that few had ever dared to speak before her-and fewer had lived to regret it.

"I refuse." The bold declaration was met with a heavy silence as the group waited to see how Sesshomaru would respond to their stubborn miko, knowing that Sesshomaru would have to experience the normal Kagome's headstrong nature sooner or later if he would be traveling with them, even if only temporarily.

Eyes as cold as a frozen tundra turned on the disrespectful wench who had dared to openly go against him, and he was met with eyes of blue fire that barely held the woman's righteous indignation at bay.

"What did you say, human?" The words were spoken in something barely over a whisper, but for any normal person they were 100 times more impactful than if Sesshomaru had been yelling—Kagome and him had that trait in common.

"I. Refuse." Kagome's eyes flashed once again in her anger. "Sesshomaru, to refer to someone as 'sama' would signify a show of respect, but I am incapable of holding even a shred of respect for anyone who is incapable of showing me respect in return," Kagome paused to let her words sink in before continuing. "And, I also refuse to address you in such a manner simply out of fear. So if you wish to treat me like dirt, Sesshomaru, that is fine, go ahead, but don't expect me to revere you as some living deity either." Kagome finished her striking speech with as much fire as her soul could muster, and even her friends were a little shocked by her bravery (or foolishness).

Not waiting for him to respond, Kagome hooked arms with Sango, gathered her bathing supplies, and marched in the direction Inuyasha had mentioned the hot spring was located in earlier, followed by a skipping kit who was very happy to have his strong willed mama back. Kagome didn't even flinch as she walked past the still glowering inu lord to reach out her hand and offer for Rin to come bathe with them, and she accepted happily despite the tense atmosphere.

The only answer to her little tirade, at least on the demon lord's end, was an arched brow and golden eyes that revealed glimpses of the two warring emotions within him, fury over her brazen behavior and being impressed with her persistence to stand up to him— a feat few dared to do. Despite himself, he may even be leaning towards feeling impressed.

* * *

After a long relaxing soak, Kagome returned to camp with a sleepy slayer and two giggling children. Shippo had decided to ride Kagome's shoulder in deference to Rin, who was currently residing in his usual place, snuggled in Kagome's arms. The two then began to laugh as the miko launched into telling a tale of two mischievous children, Hansel and Gretel, after she had compared Rin and Shippo to the two due to them being lovable trouble makers themselves.

"And then, because the children had eaten the all the candies and treats, they were as fat as wild boars and could no longer run away from the wicked witch. So the two siblings had to think fast and find a way to escape the witch's candy house before she came back and made them her pets. They tried everything to slim down before the witch returned. They jogged in place. They did jumping jacks. They did crunches. But nothing worked! The two then became frustrated and fought, like all siblings due, but after a particularly strong shove by Hansel, Gretel thought of a way to escape. You see, the two children were so fat that they could actually _roll_ down the hill. So as soon as the witch unlocked the door, both children launched at her, knocking her down and escaping back to their village where they both lived happily ever after!"

Kagome finished her bed time story and watched as the two children clapped and happily exclaimed they'd like to eat so many sweets they could roll down a hill. Yeah, it wasn't the traditional Hansel and Gretel story, but she didn't want to emphasize children being eaten in a time period when it could _actually_ happen.

"Miko-sama?" Rin asked, in a sleepy yet somehow still lively voice.

"Yes, dear?" Kagome looked over at the sweet child and wondered what could make her look so timid all the sudden. Shippo watched with a sly little smirk as he laid on his stomach with his feet in the air, ankles and arms crossed.

"Shippo-chan says that you know what candy is, can you explain it to Rin?" Oh, the light bulb went off then. Meeting the overly innocent emerald eyes of her kit, Kagome knew what game he was playing. If he had asked for candy, Kagome would have said no, but if Rin asked what candy is, he knew she'd most likely giver her some as she explained it. Clever boy.

"Of course, sweetheart." Kagome's smiled down at the little girl and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Candy is just another term for sweets. They can come in all shapes and sizes, but some of the most popular are chocolate candies, sugar candies, and hard candies." Kagome began like a teacher would a lesson. "I have some in my bag," Kagome started as Shippo leapt up off his stomach and moved in close to sit next to Rin, "But kids shouldn't have sweets so late at night, so you two can see them now, but no eating them till tomorrow."

Kagome's tone held the authority of any mother figure and Shippo, who she was mainly looking at, only gave her a sheepish look before holding out his hands to see the pretty candies as well—Rin proceeded to copy him. Kagome rolled her eyes at how cute the two kids were as she reached over for her bag. She then let Rin hold the plastic jar of sugar candies she had brought from home. She had chocolate as well, but she knew she made the right decision when Rin raved about the pretty colors and flower designs on the small, rounded balls of sugar.

"Yeah, they are pretty, but again, we can't eat them late at night. It will make your tummies hurt and you'll have bad dreams." Kagome said this as a warning, the little white lie being necessary to keep her kit's sneaky paws out of her bag later that night. "Now, its time for bed!"

With those words said, Shippo tried to escape, but Kagome snagged his foot before he could make it two feet. "Now where do you think you're going?" Kagome asked in an innocent voice, one that made Shippo shake.

"But Mama, I wanna stay up a little longer! Miroku and Inuyasha aren't even back from bathing!" Shippo pouted as he had been pulled back into Kagome's lap as they sat on her sleeping bag. He didn't usually act so spoiled, but he was afraid that if he went to sleep now, he'd wake up to the unnatural, spell-bound Kagome. He wanted to be with her a little longer, but that thought didn't last long when he heard Kagome's next question.

"Shippo. What time did I say it was?" There was no room for argument in Kagome's tone, and Shippo knew if he looked up he would see sparkling blue eyes and a threatening smile looking down at him, daring him to disobey.

"Bed time." The kit answered with his shoulders practically to his ears with the pressure Kagome's alpha-like aura was exerting on his tiny frame.

"Good." Kagome said, but this time with a genuine smile as she leaned down to kiss his forehead. Shippo then moved behind her to burrow into her open sleeping bag as Kagome turned to Rin.

"You too, Rin-chan. Bed time, and I want no objections." Kagome's words were, again, firm, but the loving smile she wore made the little girl feel like they were spoken out of concern for her sake. Still, she felt a little sad.

Head drooping and lip barely jutting out, Rin gave a, "Yes, Miko-sama," before turning to leave. She only made it a few steps before the miko called her name once again. Turning, she saw a brilliant smile on Kagome's face and her arms were spread wide.

"I didn't get my goodnight hug, Rin-chan." That was all it took. Rin ran the few steps back and propelled herself into the miko's arms. This is what she wanted. Rin would never say so, but she wanted the warm miko's motherly affection. No, she would never complain about Sesshomaru-sama. He was the perfect protector, and, even if in her head she referred to him as Daddy, he was a warrior. He didn't have time to be so openly affectionate, even the young Rin knew this. However, that didn't mean she didn't feel a little tug on her heart when she saw Shippo interact with Miko-sama. Even tonight, she didn't want to leave the miko's side just yet, but by being called back for something as affectionate as a hug, Rin could now go to sleep with no regrets. And that's what she did.

* * *

Golden eyes watched the "normal" miko while reclined against a tree, one knee bent so his lone arm could rest upon it. The miko had returned from her evening bathing ritual in a much better mood, a fact all present were grateful for.

He still couldn't believe such a tiny onna had the audacity to confront him in a manner that no one, demon or human, had the courage to other than his sire.

Earlier he might have been impressed, but that was at the novelty of the situation, not the miko. That was clear because he knew there was nothing special about her except a slightly larger than average source of reiki.

Really, the wench had wasted her entire night telling a silly fable to his ward and her kit. It was ridiculous in light of the situation she awoke to find herself in merely a few hours ago. It was only after Rin had been returned to him and her kit had fallen asleep that she bothered to go and discuss the situation with the monk. They debated for hours but the best they could come up with was that they would use the houshi's sutras during the night to reinforce her internal barrier's defenses, but in the morning she would have to awaken and do some deep meditation to have any real chance of warding off the curse's effects.

With that, they went to sleep, and Sesshomaru was left alone with his thoughts. Well, his thoughts and his beast, and the creature was being more of a nuisance than usual with his inability to focus on anything besides the miko.

**She will be a good mother. Puts pups first.** He observed with obvious delight. _As if it matters to this one if she has such capabilities. Regardless, any to hail from her will be weak. She coddles them too much. _Sesshomaru growled internally as he tried to focus back on the other miscellaneous business he had waiting for him back at the castle. This journey was taking far too long and it would be another week before the reach the Dragon Priestess' lair. Thinking of the paper work that must be pilling up left the Western Lord on the verge of a headache. His beast didn't help.

**Not weak. Strong. They will have her spirit as well as her immeasurable power. **His beast argued with him, and Sesshomaru allowed himself to internally heave a sigh as he acquiesced to having this discussion. His beast obviously wasn't going to shut up.

_Immeasurable power, hn. Even if that is so, which this one seriously doubts, it will be wasted on the half-breed. _His beast made a gruff sound in the back of its throat.

**She no longer desires the hanyou as she did before. You can tell in her scent. **It was true. Kagome had made it pointedly clear to act nothing more than friendly with Inuyasha since she had come out of the curse's control. Even Sesshomaru had noticed that her scent did not seem to hold anything other than platonic feelings, but that didn't mean that he was happy his beast had noticed the same thing. Sesshomaru was starting to worry that his beast was paying too much attention to the little miko.

_Regardless, her powers will either be wasted on a human, who will undoubtably become corrupted like the rest of its kind despite its mother, or she will spawn a filthy hanyou and the demon blood will dilute her reiki's influence. Either way, the child will be weak._

The beast barked from within his cage. His logical side was too damn close minded. **That is not the only option!**

Sesshomaru's brow twitched at the insistence in his beast's tone. _What other option could there be? _He could think of none. It was inevitable that the child would be either human or hanyou, and to him both equated to being weak.

**If the miko mates a powerful demon with her power, there is a chance she could birth full demon pups. **The statement hung, suspended, in Sesshomaru's mind as he turned it over a few times. Sensing his other half's hesitance, the beast offered another tempting possibility for Sesshomaru to consider. **Not only that, there is a chance that the pups would then be resistant to reiki, at least any weaker than her own. Who knows, maybe they will even be able to wield both youki and reiki. **

Sesshomaru didn't want to contemplate what his beast was saying, but even to one of a logical nature like himself could see the reason behind his words. Unbidden, the picture of a tall and strong inu warrior with flowing silver hair much like his own stood within his mind, armed and ready for battle. One of his hands glowed green, like Sesshomaru's own poisonous claws, but the other projected a bright, magenta light**, **a light that seemed oddly familiar. It wasn't until he noticed the piercing gaze of the young youkai that Sesshomaru was violently jerked back to reality. His eyes, they were the most striking crystal blue.

Sesshomaru woke with a start. It seems he had fallen into a shallow slumber while talking to his beast. The image of the inuyoukai remained in his mind, as if it had been branded on the back of his eyelids. Frustrated with his beast for even implying such a thing, knowing it had something to dow with the dream image, Sesshomaru roamed over the camp with his eyes.

His small little pack was settled still, Rin sleeping close to him, her head resting on the tail of his mokomoko-sama. Jaken seemed to have been smooshed under the belly of Ah Un, and had fallen asleep there when the beast most likely refused to move. Yes, his pack was fine. Was normal. It was the other group being so close that had him so on edge. Especially since only a few yards away, Sesshomaru knew a very troublesome existence was sleeping peacefully, waiting for her chance to annoy him with the coming sun.

* * *

"Wake, Miko." Sesshomaru's tone left no room for discussion as he not so gently nudged the side of the sleeping Kagome with his boot. Stirring, the miko turned on her opposite side and gave an annoyed little "hmph" before going back to bed.

Having long lost his patience after a night of nothing but trouble, Sesshomaru leaned down to whisper in a threatening tone. "You will wake, Miko. Or this one shall take you and your kit and throw you in the nearest river." His threat had the intended affect as Kagome finally managed to muster up the energy to sit up and throw him a sleepy glare.

"Why are you waking me up, Sesshomaru?" Kagome's voice was thick with sleep, but she kept it at a whisper since the rest of her friends were still sleeping.

"This one heard of your plans for meditation and shall not risk your laziness allowing the curse's effects to once again surface. Come, this one shall monitor your progress." With that said, the proud inu lord moved to the edge of the camp and proceeded to disappear into the trees.

Kagome debated ignoring the presumptuous demon in exchange for sleeping a little longer, but she knew he was right (and that his threat was very much real). Sighing, she didn't even have time to change out of her pajamas as Kagome had to jog to keep up with the fleeting figure she saw in the distance. _If you're gonna wake me up, you could have at least waited. _

Grumbling to herself, the miko finally managed to catch up to her demon drill instructor, and even she could see the displeasure in his eyes. "What? I'm here, aren't I?" Kagome asked with her hands on her hips, the picture perfect definition of a hot mess.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the miko's disheveled appearance and improper choice in sleep ware. A blue-black mane of thick, wavy locks fell in disarray around the top half of the miko until they reached just below the middle of her back, offering the only form of cover for her vast amounts of bare skin. A white spaghetti strap top clung to her chest and abdomen, making her now fully developed figure clear for all to see. Her bottoms were no less indecent as they didn't even reach mid-thigh, leaving her shapely legs bare. Unlike her top, the bottoms were of a loser material, but they still showcased her womanly hips and her well rounded ass…

**Woof. **Was all his beast had to say as he appreciated the view the miko presented, but Sesshomaru was of the opinion her attire made her unseemly. If he wanted a whore, he'd go to a brothel.

* * *

Kagome had waited for a response, but since she never got one she just sat down on the ground. She would admit to liking the spot Sesshomaru had found. Kagome sat on the edge of the forrest her friends were still sleeping with in, trees surrounding her back and a lazy river directly before her. The sounds of the early morning also helped ease her mind as she closed her eyes to begin her meditation.

"Miko, there are things you should know of meditation." Sesshomaru began, only to notice the onna's eyes were already shut. Thinking the insufferable thing was trying to go back to sleep Sesshomaru kneeled to roughly shake her by her shoulder. "Miko!"

Kagome scrunched her eyes at the commanding tone, and opened them once again with a complaint already passing her lips. "What the hell, Sesshomaru…sama."

With the abrupt shift in the Miko's tone and with him being crouched down to her eye level, Sesshomaru could practically see the miko's inner light begin to dim as the curse's affects take over.

Big blue eyes went from glaring at him to glorifying him in a matter of seconds. A soft and loving smile took control of the miko's lips and a small voice called to him. "Sesshomaru-sama."

* * *

An hour later, and the miko and Sesshomaru were still sitting near the river. Sesshomaru had decided to willingly engage the spell-bound miko for the first time in an attempt to jostle the normal miko back into existance.

He had tried insulting her. Belittling humans. Threatening her friends. Everything, and still she remained spell-bound. The demon lord had no idea he would ever be wishing to see a even the tinniest flash of the miko's fiery temper or a mere flare of her reiki, but right now that's all he wanted.

He knew the miko, in her normal state of mind, could conjure a strong enough barrier to contain the curse's effects. He would admit she was strong enough for at least that much, but this other miko, this mindlessly obsessed miko, was worthless. Oh, she was willing to follow his commands without hesitation, a fact he should have enjoyed, but she had no will, no fire within her. Sesshomaru even found her more intolerable than the "normal" miko.

"Come, miko. Try to focus." Sesshomaru instructed for what felt like the 100th time. "Look inside yourself and find the foreign energy. Do you see it?"

Kagome pursed her lips as she sat at the foot of her tree, in the exact position her loved one had instructed of her. "Hmmm, nope." Kagome giggled, and she popped the "p" in nope. "Why is this important Sesshomaru-sama?" Openly trusting eyes gazed at him, and Sesshomaru nearly gave in to his desire to heave an exasperated sigh.

"Because we must contain the curse. Now, again, Miko." Sesshomaru crossed his arms as he looked down at the infatuated Kagome.

"What curse?" Kagome asked as her head tilted to the side and allowed her thick ebony waves to fall over her shoulder. Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitched. He would almost rather be talking to the half-breed… almost.

"The curse that makes you believe you are in love with this Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru answered back in his typical monotone. He thought that, perhaps, making the situation clear, even a curse affected miko would be able to show some resistance. Oh boy, was he wrong. Kagome did show resistance, but not to the curse.

"What do you mean, Sesshomaru-sama. I truly do love you!" Kagome's voice became desperate as she forgot one of the three rules and stood to throw herself against Sesshomaru's chest. He hadn't been expecting that and it certainly was not welcome.

"Away, onna!" Sesshomaru growled as he pushed Kagome towards the trees with probably a little too much force. "You know not of what you speak!" Sesshomaru was quickly losing his patience, and the poor girl didn't realize how far her next words would push that struggling inu off the edge of control.

"I do! I do know. I love you, Sesshomaru-sama. I want to be by your side forever. I wish to be your mate!" Kagome had tears running down her face and she wiped them with the back of her hands before risking a glance back at the man she believed herself to love. However, what stared back at her was no man, it was a beast.

**__**Sesshomaru glared at the little onna who stared at him with watery eyes of such open devotion and love that it made him uncomfortable. His beast was rilled up and practically at the surface due to the reckless words of the sobbing miko. Sesshomaru knew it wasn't really the miko's fault, it was the curse (even he knew that), but he couldn't let such words pass without punishment. Without even a second thought, Sesshomaru relinquished some of his hold over his beast.

"Enough!" The great Inu snarled. Moving with blinding speed, Sesshomaru had Kagome pinned to a tree in less than a second. A clawed hand reached up and cupped her face as the mighty demon lord leaned down to peer at her with eyes glowing red. The dominating act was done to show the girl her place, to prove to her that he was not some kind creature who would allow her incessant pestering to continue, but again Kagome showed no fear at the silver Inu's murderous glare, the jagged marks that donned the sides of his face, or the deadly claws that were poised along the sider of her face and neck, ready to crush her skull or gouge the skin of her throat. _How can she still show no fear? Is it the spell? _

Sesshomaru's beast stirred ever more violently at the bitch's show of defiance as it demanded she bare her neck in submission to them, to her alpha. **She's an alpha female. Subjugate her! **His beast howled his desires to dominate the strong young woman before them, and Sesshomaru had to fight to keep the beast from fully taking over. _She is not ours to teach. She is not pack! _Sesshomaru's lips pulled back in a snarl at the persistence of his beast. **She is for now, and we are much better suited to be her alpha than the half-breed. Take her! **

Sesshomaru's retort for his beast at how unappealing the idea of taking the defiant miko was for him was interrupted by a gentle hand on his cheek. Startled at the sudden contact and cursing himself for forgetting himself in his argument with his beast, golden-red eyes moved down to lock back on Kagome.

The miko was still staring at him, but her somewhat blank stare of mindless devotion had become something entirely different. As Kagome ran a tentative finger along the edge of the markings on Sesshomaru's cheeks, he saw a softening of her features as she looked somewhat in awe of him.

"So soft," The miko breathed out in a distracted sigh as she became more daring and decided to cup his cheek and stroke the marks with her thumb.

Sesshomaru had to grind his teeth in an effort to ward of the pleasurable shiver that wished to descend his spine at her gentle caress. He had never let anyone other than his father and mother touch his markings before, and even that had only occurred a select number of times when he was still a pup.

He was also momentarily caught off gaurd by the change in the miko's scent. Instead of the sickeningly sweet scent she usually had when under the spell, it had become much more subtle. Instead of the suffocating smell of cheap perfume, he could now smell pleasant scents such as cool summer rain with hints of lavender and jasmine. It was a relaxing scent, one that could even calm the heart, if he had one.

Coming out of his stupor and overlooking what those rising scents could mean, Sesshomaru grabbed the offending appendage and pinned it over the miko's head along with her other arm and released a deafening snarly in her face.

Kagome blinked slowly for a second before a confused whisper of his name answered him, "Sesshomaru…"

"Well, wench, if you wish to be this one's bitch, I will reluctantly grant you a taste of what its like to be with a ruthless animal such as this Sesshomaru. Maybe, after you've been taught what its like to be ravaged like a true bitch, you will learn how utterly incompetent and unacceptable you are for fulfilling such a role. If not, at least you will learn your place and never again oppose this one's place as alpha." Sesshomaru's menacing promise was followed by him descending on Kagome's parted lips, stopping whatever it was she was about to say.

* * *

**AN: Another chapter done. Please let me know what you think!**


	4. The Love Spell: Chapter 4

**Writes while crying over the cold hard truth: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA**

* * *

"Sesshomaru…" Kagome's curse clouded mind struggled to regain a semblance of coherency. Sesshomaru stood before her, well, not really before her but _against_ her. An armor clad chest roughly pushed into her delicate frame, scraping her back against the rough bark of the tree, as an unrelenting, clawed hand shackled her wrists above her head. She didn't know what had happened to warrant such aggression against her, but if the crimson eyes glaring down at her were any clue, she had made the demon lord very, very angry.

"Well, wench," The more beast than man spat at her, "if you wish to be this one's bitch, we will reluctantly grant you a taste of what its like to be with a ruthless animal such as this Sesshomaru. Maybe, after you've been taught what its like to be ravaged like a true bitch, you will learn how utterly incompetent and unacceptable you are for fulfilling such a role. If not," His voice dropped even lower to become a sinister growl, "At least you will learn your place and never again oppose this one's position as alpha."

Kagome couldn't believe what Sesshomaru had just said to her, the degrading words slapping her like a physical blow, but before she could unleash a well warranted verbal lashing, Sesshomaru's snarling lips descending on her, effectively caging Kagome's complaints within her own throat.

Demanding lips pressed against Kagome's as the assault commenced. Insistent. Dominating. Hungry. The beast growled and snapped as Kagome refused to allow his seeking appendage entry to her mouth, but a gasp of pain at a particularly savage bite to her bottom lip finally broke her defenses as her seal against the demon's raid faltered and his hot tongue invaded her mouth. A lashing tongue and persistent lips beat her own into submission and tears began to fall down her face as she realized resistance was futile—her hands constrained and unable to raise her usual reiki defenses.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be, Kagome's maiden heart cried from the confines of her chest. Her first real kiss, not counting the light graze of lips with Inuyasha, wasn't supposed to be an invasion. This plundering of her virgin mouth as a true demon devoured her.

In this one moment, more than any other time before her, Kagome truly hated the demon known as Sesshomaru.

* * *

His beast growled, low and hungry. Sesshomaru had only intended to scare her, to enforce his rightful place as alpha upon the disobedient miko, but with the first taste of her lush lips, the battle-hardened youkai lost every ounce of his control for the first time since he was a pup. The lips of the innocent little miko were a delectable treat that he could not help but run his tongue along the seam of her tightly closed lip, pulling the plump morsel in between his teeth to sample her. Teeth clamped down in reprimand when even with his insistence, she refused to allow him access to the tempting cavern of her mouth. When the nip finally had the miko parting her lips enough for him to taste her, his beast's rumbling became a rapturous snarl of triumph.

**More**. His beast demanded of him. Take more. Feel more. Have more. Teeth knocked as much as they nipped on the deliciously delicate skin of her luscious lips and his tongue savored every inch of her moistened heat. Sesshomaru's mind was intoxicated by the heady taste of her maidenly mouth, the sweet nectar of her unique taste bathing his tongue with every lap of slick muscles.

His beast was nearly purring in the miko's mouth with contentment when he sensed it. The miko's scent was disturbing his euphoria. Instead of the sickeningly sweet smell of the curse, or her beguiling natural scent of green tea and jasmine, the miko's scent was incredibly bitter and the smell of salt water assaulted his sensitive nose.

The beast's ruby eyes opened to peer down at the little miko as her body trembled with an internal force that he could not fathom. The offensive track of tears burned his nose, but he didn't understand why his onna was crying. Leaning down, the beast even had the nerve to nuzzle her cheek with his own, in a most sickeningly sardonic show of comfort.

"**Miko**?" The beast's husky voice growled, but he was shocked into silence by the fiercest glare of fiery blue he had ever seen. The miko's face was distorted in the most obvious and open expression of pain the youkai had witnessed in centuries—so much so, Sesshomaru's logical side began to return to the forefront of their mind.

Clear tears reflected her anguish and her hatred for the being in front of her, and the intensity of her disdain actually forced a whimper of distress from his beast. In all his days, neither Sesshomaru nor his beast had ever felt discomfort or guilt at the suffering of others, but having made the miko bare such an expression left them both feeling…conflicted.

"Get off." A harsh whisper was spit from between barred human teeth. The logical side of Sesshomaru was battling in earnest to return to the surface now, but his beast wasn't relenting until he comforted the troubled miko. At the sound of her voice, burnt copper looked down to see the miko's eyes clamped shut and her lips pulled down in an agonized grimace.

"I said. Get. Off." Kagome gave an impressive growl as she clenched her still shackled wrists before releasing a burst of reiki from within. The attack was unexpected and, though it did not physically harm him beyond a slight burn along his skin, the force of her release did force his being back a few feet—and provided enough of a distraction for Sesshomaru to return to reality and restore his beast to his rightful place, his cage.

* * *

Pure golden eyes looked on warily as the miko slowly lowered her arms to her sides, her head also slightly lowered as she battled for the strength she needed to face him. She would not cry. Not in front of this monster.

The youkai didn't know what to do, that was clear to anyone with eyes. His face was not it's usual mask of indifference as confusion and disbelief were clear in his expression. He didn't know how his beast could command him so thoroughly, and he certainly didn't know how to handle the emotional being standing before him.

Finally, the moment for pretending the other's presence didn't exist was over. Kagome rose her head to lock eyes with demon lord.

Sesshomaru wouldn't admit it, but the look in the miko's eyes made his recently repaired mask of indifference nearly falter. The usually light and lively eyes of the young onna were glazed over like glass, reflecting none of the inner light that spoke of her boundless vitality. It was strange for even one such as himself, who had only recently spent any extended amount of time around the "normal" miko, to see such a look in her eyes. It was wrong.

Unable to confront the conflicting emotions rioting within himself, Sesshomaru sought the solace of something familiar, something that came to him like second nature, cruelty.

"What, Miko?" Sesshomaru's mask split into a malicious sneer. "You dare proclaim innocence when you habitually expose yourself like a common whore?" Sesshomaru's voice dripped with disgust and disdain, like usual, but this time some of those emotions were directed at himself. _How could I allow such a grave error to pass? _

Sesshomaru was in unfamiliar territory as unknown emotions battered his conscious (something he no longer thought he possessed), and, for the first time in his life, he decided to take out his frustration by being petty instead of facing his own problems head on.

* * *

Kagome looked with disgust at the youkai before her. He stood there, pristine and perfect, with the same perpetual look of boredom he always wore. He felt no remorse for what he had done. For the injustice he had inflicted upon her, an innocent bystander.

Kagome struggled to keep the negative emotions within her at bay. _It would do no good._ Kagome was one who usually believed everyone had light within them, that goodness and love was intrinsic in every being, but she seriously doubted that held true anymore. After meeting Naraku, she had begun to question such a naive belief, and after what had just happened to her, she was almost ready to throw it out the window.

_No being should be so heartless. _Kagome had fought to find some light within the Western Lord since the first time they had met and he had tried to kill his own brother and her best friend, Inuyasha. She had thought there was even some hope when Sesshomaru practically adopted innocent, little Rin, but that fleeting hope had just been crushed by the demon lord himself.

"Do you have any way to explain yourself?" Kagome's voice was void of emotion as she confronted the cold-hearted youkai. She had no expectations that he would offer her any words of regret or apology, but if he did, she would give him one last chance—she couldn't help it as it was in her nature to be forgiving. However, her forgiving heart was wasted on such frivolous dreams, as evident by the daiyoukai's hateful words.

"Explain? Why would one as myself ever have the need to explain himself to," Sesshomaru paused so he could look Kagome up and down before spitting out the next word like a curse, "_you_."

Kagome closed her eyes in resignation. Her heart aching with the knowledge that such a hallow existence actually walked this earth, and that she had the misfortune to know him so _intimately_. Losing herself in her anger, Kagome lost some of her composure.

"Oh, if this one is so _unworthy_," Kagome hissed in return. "Why lower yourself to…touching such a filthy being, Sesshomaru-_sama_?" Kagome's voice was hard with sarcasm as her petite frame radiated defiance and challenge, a fact that caused the silent inu's temper to flare.

"This one was only giving you what you desired, ungrateful wench. You should be honored to experience this Sesshomaru's_ love _even once in your pathetic life time." The inu's sickly smug smile made Kagome's stomach turn.

"That, is not love Sesshomaru. That is dominance." Kagome whispered through a tight jaw. _How could his view on love be so, so…distorted? _

"Same difference to this one, Miko. One such as I am in no need of the worthless emotion you call love. This one is satisfied being alone." Sesshomaru dismissed the miko with a wave of his hand before he turned to leave. He had enough of this nonsense and all he wanted was to get as far away from the miko as the blasted curse would allow.

"Why do you insist on isolating yourself?" Kagome cried out almost desperately. Her loving heart just couldn't understand his behavior and demanded an explanation. "Why are you so afraid of trusting others, of letting someone in to that frozen mass you call a heart!" Tears of frustration were welling in Kagome's oceanic gaze, but she held them back. She was determined to be strong as she confronted the cold-hearted lord before her. He was so adamant of letting others know where he stood in life so he could stand there and deal with her as she made her own beliefs clear.

"This Sesshomaru does not fear anything, human." Sesshomaru's glare was frosted over with his indignation at the onna's insinuation. No, one such as himself did not feel fear, he instilled it.

"Oh, yes, you do, My _Lord._" Kagome screamed. "You refuse to let anyone in and by doing so you are proclaiming to the world that you fear love, Sesshomaru. If you don't let anyone in, you won't be hurt. You can't be betrayed if there is no one you trust to betray you, and thought that is true in practice, it is no way to live! Fearing love and equating it to weakness is like choosing to live with the pain of a chronic illness because the life-saving medicine might have some unpleasant side-effects. " Kagome was practically panting as she spilled her heart out to the Inu Lord who was frozen in place before her with slightly widened eyes. As she continued to look at him and her breathing came back under control, the fire in her eyes dwindled and her crystal blue eyes once again became watery with her unshed tears, except this time a few escaped to roll down her reddened cheeks.

"There is strength and power in love, Sesshomaru. A power that far surpasses anything you have ever known, and a power you will never know or be able to posses if you insist on being alone." Kagome's gaze was filled with pity then, for despite her earlier decision to give up on the dark soul standing before her, she couldn't suppress the desire to help him. Even now, she'd give anything to pull that lonely soul into the light. Originally, she confronted him only to see if he could be redeemed, knowing he would fail the test, but her rant ended up a true lecture regardless. No matter how much she didn't like him, Kagome hoped Sesshomaru would come around and see reason, to see the light, not for her sake, but for his own—and Sesshomaru could actually see that hope blazing in the soul-piercing look she threw his way before turning to disappear within the trees.

That glance was what had stopped him from once again trying to battle against the curse in attempt to lay a hand on the miko, but he hadn't expected her reaction. Her words, he had heard the likes of which before from a select few individuals (his father, predominately), yet they had never so eloquently or passionately been stated. Furthermore, none since his great sire had expressed such an opinion out of concern for _him_. The miko's words had been spoken with no hidden intentions, unlike what he was used to, and it had caught the powerful demon off guard. He had known the miko was a selfless creature, a fact he frequently associated with her weakness and naivety, but he had never suspected such selflessness could be extended to him as well, especially considering the offense he had just made against her.

* * *

Silence. Silence is what transpired for the following 6 days as the young miko refused to make any contact with the demon lord what so ever. She didn't defy him. She didn't challenge him. Hell, she didn't even look at him.

After returning to the clearing, the entire camp was on edge as they felt the sense of turmoil lingering in the miko's aura. No, she wasn't displaying it like her usual temper tantrums, in fact, she was hell bent to conceal any trace of what had transpired between them.

Sesshomaru thought this was a well-deserved break from the past few days of grievances, but the incident and her response lingered in his mind.

**Whimper.** Sesshomaru internally grit his teeth as his beast continued to whimper and pout in its cage. At the very least, his beast was apologetic for losing control. It pawed and barked at the bars of its cage in an attempt to voice its deep sense of regret, but that did little good as his logical half barricaded it in with sealed lips. _This one will NOT apologize to the lowly creature. _

**Grr, she is not lowly. She is stronger than any female to ever stand before us and you know it. She should be ours! **Sesshomaru blanched at the idea. So this is why his beast had been so insistent the last few days. It wished for them to mate the miko? The absurdity was rivaled by how truly shocking the idea was to Sesshomaru. His beast had never paid attention to any onna, not even the other youkai lord's daughters, and yet it wished to bind their soul to the mortal miko? Preposterous.

Smirking at his chance to turn the tables and trouble his beast for once, he pointed out something glaringly obvious. _She will never be our mate. Not after what you have done to her. _

The beast whimpered once again. Internally cursing itself for the lack of control. **It is your fault. If you had joined with us properly as a pup, our lack of control would not be an issue!**

Sesshomaru scowled as his beast tossed the blame on to him. Sesshomaru was always in control and the first time his beast took command he made a mess of things. _You lack discipline. Not this Sesshomaru. _

**_You were in control when you called her a whore! You made her hate us! You are the reason mate won't even look at us! _**The whinning and kneeing noises his beast was making were grating on his nerves, and when it called the miko mate he lost it.

A deafening snarl rang across the glade in which the two groups were setting up camp. Everyone, save Kagome, turned in shock and a little fear at the inu lord's outburst.

"What the hell's that for, bastard?" Inuyasha grunted as he pulled himself off the ground, as the snarl had shocked him out of the tree in which he had been resting.

"None of your concern, half-breed." Sesshomaru intentionally used the term to goad the whelp into a fight, hoping it would relaese some of the stress he was feeling, and it looked like it was going to work until a gentle hand rested on the sword drawing arm of the spluttering hanyou.

"He's not worth it, Inuyasha." The miko's soft voice was calm and soothing as she moved her hand further up to give Inuyasha's little dog ear a gentle caress. "Come," Some humor entered her uncharacteristically somber voice, "If you're a good boy, I will make you some ramen."

Inuyasha was about to swat her hand away and say forget it, but the saddened look in her eyes made him rethink things. "Keh, make it two and I'll forgive you for touching my ears."

Kagome giggled at that, an innocent sound of chiming bells. Unlike what the others thought, Inuyasha could read the situation sometimes. Then, with a mischievous look in her eyes, Kagome proceeded to reach up with her other hand and give the opposite ear the same gentle attention.

"Three then," Kagome laughed as she dodged Inuyasha's attempt to swat her hand away, and then she turned to make his ramen as well as the rest of the groups dinner.

Sesshomaru and his beast observed the whole thing. Sesshomaru, disgusted at the open level of familiarity and affection the two displayed, and his beast whining in jealousy for the same reasons.

Sesshomaru leaned his head back against an old tree and began ignoring his beast's constant mumbling. _Tomorrow, it will all be over tomorrow. You will never have to set eyes on the miko again._

* * *

Sesshomaru led the way as his own pack and the Inu-taichi followed behind him. Inuyasha had initially thrown a fit over having to follow behind like some omega, which Sesshomaru then assured him he was, but Kagome made it clear that since Sesshomaru was the only one who knew where they were going than it was quickest to just follow him.

Sesshomaru had not appreciated needing the miko's reasoning on his behalf before her pack respected his position as alpha and followed his lead. He was born alpha and his position as such should be irrefutable, but for his brother's pack it seemed no moves were made without the consent of the miko—as long as she was the "normal" miko, that is.

These thoughts plagued his mind as he continued to walk a precarious mountain path. The cliff's edge was only a few feet out from the base of the mountain, but that mattered little to the strong youkai as he marched with confidence down an unmarked trail.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whined a little. She had grown a lot in the last few years, and heights didn't really bother her, but walking what was basically a tight rope of a path while her grisly demise awaited her at the bottom of the deep canyon, yeah, that terrified her. Shaking hands clung to the back of Inuyasha's robe of the fire rat and she practically buried her face into his hair.

Sango sent her a pitying look as her, Miroku, and Shippo had elected to fly on Kirara beside the death path rather than walk it, and not far behind them Ah Un held a flailing Jaken in its front talons while Rin sat safely on his saddle. This left the two half-siblings and Kagome alone on the path.

Sesshomaru desperately wanted to roll his eyes at the whimpering of the cowardly onna. It's not like she was going to fall, even the foul half-breed's reflexes were better than that. He kept his silence, however, determined not to say another word to the miko unless absolutely necessary.

They continued on this way for what Kagome felt was an eternity, Inuyasha too with the way he had been half strangled the whole time by Kagome's unrelenting grip on his clothes, but in truth only about two hours had passed before they stopped in front of a barley noticeable crevice tucked into the uneven surface of the mountain side.

"Why'd you stop?" Kagome asked as she peeked out from behind Inuyasha head to figure out why they were no longer moving.

"Because the bastard did." Inuyasha grumbled as he rubbed his sore neck and shoulders with his hands.

Sesshomaru shot a glare at the whelp but didn't bother responding. _Just a little longer. _Reaching out with a his deadly claws, Sesshomaru quickly swiped a long, thin line over the palm of Inuyasha's hand—the hand Inuyasha had raised in defense when he saw the deadly attack approaching him.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out in shock as he clutched his bleeding appendage. Eyes of fiery blue hate met his own in a incredulous glare, but his beast was silently happy she had finally looked at them.

"Why? Why are you always so cruel?" Kagome's voice shook with raw emotion. She had decided to never speak to this certain demon ever again, but he just kept forcing his own sick view of the world to encroach upon her's, and she couldn't stand it.

As customary, the daiyoukai ignored the miko's accusing glare and her insistence to ask an obvious question. Reaching down, Sesshomaru grabbed hold of Inuyasha's arm and smeared the blood along the crevice.

When he was done, Sesshomaru dropped his half-brother uncerimoniously on the ground and proceeded to wipe his hands on his clothes as if to clean them.

The little miko watched in mortification with how far this demon wished to go to proclaim, in words and actions, his twisted world views. "You, are a heartless bastard." Kagome's voice was laced with her blooming hatred. She couldn't believe someone like him even existed.

"Hn." Was the only reaction she received as the formerly inconspicuous crevice grew into a giant stone door. Before they could even knock, a voice that seemed to transcend time surrounded them.

"Who is so bold as to disrupt my solitude." Kagome shivered at the power behind that voice. It was as if it was boundless, unaffected by space or timeless.

"Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Land, Son of Lord Taisho and Lady Inukimi of the House of the Moon, requests aid in relinquishing a curse between himself and the Shikon no Miko."

A moment of silence followed as the voice seemed to deliberate if the request was valid enough to warrant entry, a fact that greatly displeased Sesshomaru, but then the voice spoke once again.

"Young Lord of the Western Lands and the Shikon no Miko are granted entry. No one else shall pass." With that being said, the great stone doors opened to reveal a pitch black darkness, a pitch black darkness that Sesshomaru strode directly into with a reluctant miko following soon after before the massive door vanished.

* * *

"It is a spell, Young Lord, not a curse." The dragon priestess reiterated.

Sesshomaru and Kagome had walked into the endless abyss of darkness only to find that as soon as the doors shut they were both standing in a colorful den of some sorts. As if the whole mountain outside had been an illusion, oriental rugs covered the floor in a sea of rich reds, blues, and purples, while the stone walls were draped in equally colorful tapestries that depicted various scenes: a samurai riding a horse, a golden castle reflected upon a lake, a woman of unparalleled beauty lying bare in a meadow. Kagome's cheeks immediately flushed the deepest crimson upon seeing the last tapestry. She hadn't expected to see anything like that in the Feudal Era!

Long mahogany locks of the purest silk framed the woman's smooth skin, a single lock stood apart from the rest as it curled around the reclining figures neck and then flowed like a stream down between the woman's breasts, across her flat stomach, and then stopped just below her right hip. The woman was the picture of serenity with her eyes closed, in what one might assume was peaceful slumber if it weren't for the fact she had her left arm raised to hold a blooming rose bud to her lips, where a faint smile lay mostly hidden behind its lush pedals.

As if in a trance, Kagome kept looking at that tapestry, and it din't help that the priestess had sat them down at a small table right in front of it. With a shake of her head, Kagome tired to focus on the dragon priestess instead. Her words could very well be spelling out her fate by now.

Steeling her nerves in the same way Kagome used to when she was about to walk into a class where she knew she needed to pay attention, Kagome's eyes looked away from the tapestry only to have crystal blue lock with crystal grey.

Curious eyes watched the little miko across from her. The dragonness had expected the miko would be like many others of her kind and show disdain for youkai, but she was surprised to find the miko was exceptionally courteous and respectful towards her. The only one she had show outward hostility to was the demon sitting next to her, and the priestess thought the young pup probably deserved it.

Sitting back in her chair, layers and layers of multi-colored, silken scarfs and shawls whispered of her movements, and hair as green as the forrest trees fell heavy around her shoulders. The lightly purple marking on her face were two thickly curved lines that rested below her right eye, their lavender color matching her eyebrows and painted lips. Those same painted lips twitched in an effort not to grin at the miko's obvious discomfort over being caught staring at her most treasured tapestry.

Deciding to spare the little miko her delicacy, the priestess continued on in an oddly whimsical tone of voice as she described the differences between curses and spells. "Curses are different in nature and utility than spells. A curse, will only seek to reek havoc on one's intended target, usually focusing and feeding off the torment and anguish of their victims. Spells, well, spells are a whole different class of magic. As they involve highly complex incantations and rare ingredients to be conjured, they are by no means easy endeavors like simple curses. Despite all that, a spell has one major facet that differentiates it from a curse, that is, a spell has a purpose—a goal, per se." Looking over at the young miko, the dragonness asked in all seriousness.

"Girl, did you have the intention of falling in love with the Western Lord before the spell was cast?" Kagome quickly shook her head no, but before she could voice the absurdity of such a notion the old priestess was already looking at Sesshomaru. "And you, Young Lord, did you desire to make this little onna your mate?" Sessshomaru's low and threatening growl was the priestess' answer.

"My, my, then we do have a problem. You see, your spell, this "love fulfillment spell," is cast with the intent of making one's love requited. That is why only one of you, the young miko, is experiencing the symptoms of infatuation while the other, our ever dignified Western Lord, has no noticeable side effects except your inability to separate yourself from the miko. This type of spell is usually used by those who desire their love to be requited, so the one who already has feelings of love would be the instigator of the spell while the intended would fall under a spell of infatuation. The spell would then run its course until the instigator's desire for love was fulfilled and the couple formed a true union."

The dragonness' words were almost clinical as she explained the nature of the spell, and the more she spoke the more the two across form her had an impending sense of dread fill both their fiery and icy hearts. This was a sign of their strong natural instincts and deductive reason because what the priestess said next was indeed unwelcome. "Therefore, if neither of you had such intentions previous to the spell's influence, that would mean one thing—a dead end." The dragon priestess' grey eyes flashed with finality before they turned hard like steel, as if she was delivering a death sentence, which, to the two involved, she kinda was.

"What does that mean?"

"Explain yourself!" Kagome and Sesshomaru demanded of the priestess in unison. With a resigned sigh, the elderly dragonness gave the two a slightly pitying look before setting her face in a teacher's like scowl.

"It is as I have said. You two are both intelligent beings so read between the lines!" She growled out in exasperation. These children always want the answers fed to them. Such laziness.

Sesshomaru glared golden-red eyes down at the priestess as he already knew the implication of her words, but it was Kagome who spoke the damning words out loud.

"Do you mean to say, that because neither of us had the intent the spell was cast to fulfill, that the spell's affects can never be removed. I will stay like this forever? Chasing after a man who won't love me, who is incapable of love?" Kagome had tears in her eyes and her voice cracked in barely concealed dread as the reality of her situation hit her, and the irony wasn't lost on a certain inu either.

"Why cry, Miko. Isn't this something you are used to? Perhaps this is your destiny, to be unwanted and unloved forever." A taunting smirk followed the cruel words of the Western Lord, and Kagome starred daggers at the being who was clearly enjoying kicking her when she was down.

"Don't forget, Sessomaru-_sama. _The spell involves you, too. You are stuck dragging around my pathetic existence, and all the youkai of your court will begin to wonder if you have followed the same path as your _honorable_ father." Kagome reminded the arrogant youkai. No, she didn't want to stoop to his level and resort to lashing out at him to cover up her own pain, but even one such as her has moments of weakness.

The temperature in the room dropped below freezing as Sesshomaru's now fully blood red eyes remained locked on the brazen little onna before him. "How dare you." The words were whispered with deadly intent, but the miko didn't back down.

"Yes, how dare I, Sesshomaru. If you want to throw other people's fears and insecurities in their faces, don't act so surprised when they do the same to you!" Kagome's voice was also uncharacteristically cold as she glared, unflinchingly, at a nearly feral Sesshomaru.

The dragonness watched as the miko stood toe to toe with the renowned Western Lord, and she liked the fire she saw blazing in those unique eyes. Smiling to herself, the dragon priestess knew what she had to do, but first she had to see what the two were willing to pay for their freedom.

"If," A lyrical voice softly sang. "If, I were to say I could lift the spell for you. What would you be willing to pay?" The mystical being challenged.

"Name your price." Sesshomaru huffed in obvious arrogance. Like she could list a price the wealthy lord could not afford.

Looking at the young miko instead, the dragon priestess inwardly smirked. "I require a small amount of your reiki and that is all."

Silence fell over the room, but it was quickly broken by an impatient lord. "Deal." Sesshomaru's one word was filled with finality, but that didn't stop Kagome from once again challenging his command.

"I'm sorry, no deal." Kagome's answer was equally as firm, only to quickly find herself sitting with a 6 ft plus some demon leering over her, red eyes, jagged markings, and barred fangs and all.

"You will cease your foolish need to defy this Sesshomaru at once, wench, and give her what she has requested. Only then can we both be free."

Blue eyes of fire locked on Sesshomaru's ruby reds, "Contrary to what you might think, Sesshomaru, this has nothing to do with you." Kagome's voice was resolute as she looked back at the elderly priestess.

"I appreciate your assistance in assessing the nature of the spell, Priestess-sama. However, I cannot afford to be reckless with my reiki as I have no means of monitoring its use once it is out of my possession. Therefore, I would rather suffer for an eternity, unloved and wanting, than know my selfishness led to the use of my reiki for evil purposes."

Sesshomaru couldn't believe his ears. All humans were weak. All humans were cowards. All humans were selfish. Why, oh Kamis, why was he sentenced to be stuck with the one being who insisted on proving him wrong, and by doing so was condemning him to a life of shame! **She is like no other.** **Why would it be so bad to be by her side for eternity? **

As Sesshomaru was shocked back into a semblance of control by his beasts haunting words, the dragonness looked over at the young miko for a few more moments in time before breaking out into a genuine smile.

"You are a lot like her, little one." The affectionate tone along with the nostalgia in those deep grey eyes slightly unnerved Kagome.

"Um, like who?" Was all she could ask. She had no idea who the priestess could be comparing her to, and, considering she had just accused the priestess of having evil intentions for her reiki, she was smiling at her with a friendly smile.

"An old, old friend, little Miko. She had the same light as you." Looking down for a moment, the priestess seemed to be lost in her thoughts. "Yes, an almost blinding light that attracts even the darkest of souls."

Kagome glanced at Sesshomaru out of the corner of her eye at the odd change in their hosts demeanor, but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he also seemed to be focused on something internal.

"Then I guess this is goodbye." Kagome said with a reluctant but respectful bow of her head before standing to leave and go wallow in her own misfortune. That, however, caught the brooding demon lord's attention.

"You are going no where, Miko. Not until this one is free from this accursed situation!" Sesshomaru barked as he moved like a flash to block Kagome's path out of the cave. Kagome stopped in her tracks as her melancholy mood was pushed back in favor of her usual fiery temper.

"Oh, yes I am. I want to be free of you as much as you wish to be free of me, Sesshomaru. Probably even more so, but I'm not selfish like you! Unlike you, I care whether or not my actions harm others, so if I have to be damned to a living hell with you as my companion in order to have a clear conscious, then so fucking be it!" Kagome was shouting and tears of frustration were welling in the piercing glare she directed at the unfeeling youkai before her. Yes, she wanted to be free. Desperately, but her words were true. She would rather suffer alone than be the cause of others suffering.

Sesshomaru stood before the onna that never ceased to provoke his anger on the most beastial of levels, and his youki began to surge around him in an attempt to overpower the miko into submission. It didn't work. As green waves crashed against her, swells of magenta came to beat them back. It was an intense clash of energies and the storm of youki and reiki brought havoc on the tinny dwelling they were all sitting in.

"Now, now, children." The priestess' words cut through the tense standoff. "Don't you two go pulling apart my den with your chaotic auras. _Settle down!"_ The last two words were spoken like a brief incantation as both Sesshomaru and Kagome once again returned to their chairs and turned to face the scolding dragonness.

"I know neither of you are happy about your situation. But, I do have an alternate solution that could be more appealing and free of charge, if you two are willing to listen." The dragonness rested her elbows on to the table before leaning slightly forward to rest her head upon her clasped fingers, preparing to deal with the two stubborn souls' reluctance with what she intended to propose.

When both children remained quite, yet apprehensive, the priestess began explaining her plan. "You see, spells such as the one you two are under are very powerful as they manipulate one of the most powerful aspects of life, love." A cold snort of derision from the demon lord was promptly ignored after a slight glare for silence from the ancient dragon.

"Therefore, to fully remove the spell is impossible, even for one such as myself." She paused for emphasis, always one for loving a dramatic flare. "However, I can do my own sort of manipulation by changing the intent behind the spell. In this way, I can at least ensure that there is an intent to be met and this alone would allow the possibility of ending the spell's affects." Kagome perked up at the possibility that she wouldn't have to remain a fumbling bimbo chasing after a fruitless love forever, and she was almost sure that she would agree to anything to save her from such a fate if it didn't involve her giving up her reiki.

Sesshomaru was also slightly pleased to hear there was a possible solution to the detestable situation he found himself in, but, as was true to his character, he was much more wary of what this new _intent_ was going to be, and he wouldn't agree to anything until it was stated clearly.

"Now, the intent of a spell is very important, as I mentioned earlier, and a love fulfillment spell is one of the highest degree of complexity and power. As such, the only option is to make the new _intent_ even stronger. I know of only one other love spell that has a stronger intent than that of the love fulfillment and that is the Unifying Hearts spell."

Kagome and Sesshomaru both stiffened at the name of the new spell. Inside, both were surprisingly thinking something along the same lines. How can two hearts be unified if a certain counterpart, most likely, didn't even posses one?! Before questions could be asked, however, the priestess continued.

"The Unifying Hearts spell is actually a sister spell to the Love Fulfillment spell, and this makes it the perfect choice for your new intent because with a few simple ingredients I can morph your love spell from the one of fulfillment into the one of unification." The dragonness let slip a sly smile after that. Oh, how she loved to watch the fates aline so perfectly. Of course she knew that the fact it was these two powerful individuals that had fallen under such a spell was no accident. Just as it was no accident that the destined pair had come to her for her aid. Now it was time she did her part.

"Ridiculous." The single word dripped with how incredulous the daiyoukai viewed the situation. A wispy lavender eyebrow rose to meet his question.

"Your meaning, Young Lord?" The priestess' tone had returned to the whimsical nature she had first used upon the pairs arrival, and her lack of seriousness about such a crucial problem did nothing to help sooth the demon lord's ire.

"You suggest one such as this Sesshomaru could be unified to a pathetic and lowly creature such as this human?" Sesshomaru's condescending words were so low and filled with growls that Kagome was barely able to make out the insult, but he continued with out her indignant interruption.

"One such as I has no need for the weakness the inferior refer to as love. It is a repugnant emotional ideal that the deluded presume equates to strength and power. However, even if this Sesshomaru were to love, we assure you it would not be to one such as _her_." Sesshomaru ended his tirade with a growl as he once again refused to speak Kagome's name, but surprisingly the miko did not seem too bothered by his derogatory words—more like, she seemed to have expected them.

"If I may, Priestess-sama, not that I agree with everything the Western Lord so eloquently stated, but one fact does stick out. How can two hearts be unified when the opposite party is dreadfully lacking the capacity to even feel love?" Kagome's voice was calm and even, as if she were in a board meeting back in some Japanese company, and the priestess smirked at the non-so subtle slight she had just delivered to the Ice Prince.

"I understand your concerns, Miko, but one such as yourself should know everyone has the ability to learn love. However, that is not exactly the nature of the Unifying Hearts spell." Two raised eyebrows and pursed sets of lips looked over at her quizzically, and she flashed a fanged smile grin.

"Yes, love spells do usually require an emotional attachment to be formed, but love has many faces. Romantic love is not required to fulfill the Unifying Heart's _intent_. No, the two of you would only have to reach a deep level of understanding and acceptance for the the spell to be fulfilled and then its effects removed. Now, I say only, but this cannot be some superficial or shallow attempt at cooperation. To meet the standard of such a high level spell, you two will have to understand each other on a spiritual level and still accept one another for who they truly are as individuals."

A slight groan escaped Kagome's lips. _It's like I've been tossed out of the frying pan and into the fire. _How could she accept Sesshomaru for who he was, the evil and cruel inuyoukai she knew him to be.

As if sensing her trepidation, grey eyes moved over to the miko._ Oh yes, little one. This will probably be the hardest challenge you will face in this life time, but I do believe you will find it worth the effort. _If there is anyone who could thaw the block of ice of Sesshomaru's heart, it would be Kagome.

"Yes, I know this sounds almost equally unpleasant to the both of you, but it has its up sides. For one, there will be no more going in and out of your states of infatuation, Miko. You will be once again in control of your will." This did make Kagome feel better. Even if both spells had _intents_ she felt were impossible to fulfill, at least with the second one she was in control herself.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, thought he might almost prefer the spell-bound miko to the loud mouth and uncooperative miko that sat next to him. This thought however was quickly extinguished when he realized that with the other miko he'd have to be followed around by the god awful smell of the love fulfillment spell, and he knew an independent miko was infinitely more preferable if it saved the integrity of his sensitive nose.

"Also," The priestess continued. "You two are as polarized as two souls can be with youkai culture and beliefs all but embodied in Lord Sesshomaru, while the little miko's soul is basically light incarnate. In this way, the spell will easily be able to be manipulated to the stronger of the two love spells as to unify two souls such as yours far surpasses the required complexity of a mere love fulfillment spell."

The dragonness waited as the two processed the solution she laid before them, and it wasn't long before resignation was reflected back to her in both golden and blue gazes. "Well," a clap of clawed hands, "if that is settled, let's get to work." With a whirl of colorful silk and evergreen hair, the dragonness was standing and rifling through cabinets as she explained some side effects of the Unifying Hearts spell the two would need to keep in mind and warning them that the side effects only got worse the longer they were under the spell's influence. This lasted for several minutes before she came back to their little table and set a pot of steaming tea and two cups before them. "Now, Miko, would you be so kind as to pour the tea for the Western Lord."

Kagome scrunched her eyebrows together in temporary confusion, but considering it wasn't a difficult request she moved to pour the tea into the cup sitting before Sesshomaru. However, when her hand automatically moved to pour tea in the cup in front of her as well, a single clawed finger tapped on the back of her hand.

"No, little one. That is not your duty. It is his." Grey eyes moved over to the indignant demon who stared daggers at the powerful priestess.

"This one has never poured tea for any besides his sire and dam." Sesshomaru spoke as if his words made it clear what an insult to his honor pouring tea for the miko would be.

Grey eyes rolled in response. "Then remain trapped, Young Lord." Her reluctance to budge in this matter made it clear this was a necessary step for her to change the spell's intent, so he did as instructed—otherwise he would have never considered doing something so degrading.

When the tea had been poured, she asked both Kagome and Sesshomaru to drink. Kagome coughed as the bitter taste of countless herbs assaulted her tongue and clung to the back of her throat, but she finished it none the less. She thought she might have been over reacting to the taste a little, but then she glanced over and saw that even Sesshomaru wore a mild expression of disgust on his face.

"Now, hold hands." The priestess might have said these words in all seriousness, and they were truly part of the process she needed to follow, but mirth danced in her ageless eyes as she watched the young lord scowl at her while reluctantly allowing Kagome to grasp his one hand in both of her own.

"Well done, children." The dragonness giggled internally as a snarl responded to her patronizing tone. "Oh, calm down. The process is nearly complete." With that said, the dragon priestess walked forward and began encasing both Sesshomaru and Kagome in her youki, a source of ancient power that blazed with oranges and yellows like a controlled fire.

Kagome watched in wonder as her reiki rose to defend against the foreign energy, but she held it back in favor of watching the swirls of youki dance like flames, liking at both her and Sesshomaru's persons. When it was over, Kagome even felt a little disappointed. _Her power is so beautiful._

"There," A tired sigh escaped the purple painted lips of their host. "The intent has been changed. If you two are able to unify your hearts, to come to understand and accept one another completely, you will both be free."

The dragonness ran a hand threw her mane of evergreen hair and tried to tame the strands that had been blown about by the force of her youki. As if no longer paying any attention to her guests, she began to hum a soft little tune and began to close her eyes.

"Um, excuse me." Kagome started hesitantly, and was relieved when one eyelid opened partially to reveal the strange grey eyes of a mildly surprised dragonness.

"Yes, little miko?" Her tone was no longer the deeply enchanting tone of when she spoke of curses and spells, and it had lost some of its attention grabbing qualities, but it still held an ancient wistfulness that made one want to hear a little more.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for your help, and, um, I was wondering if I could know your name?" Kagome's voice was filled with her appreciation and she just couldn't leave before knowing the priestess' name. She had already been kicking herself for forgetting to ask when they first arrived.

A pale lavender brow rose at the odd request. Usually, if one's problems had been solved, they just got up and left. Especially when the priestess begins to act like they are no longer there- as that was her signal for her "guests" to see themselves out. It seems the miko was too polite for such things, however.

"Chikyoko." It had been centuries since she had spoken her own name, maybe even millennia, but the pull of the little miko's light made the dragonness want to tell her. To hear the child so similar to her precious friend speak her name.

"Chiyoko-sama…" Kagome let the name fall from her lips in wonder, and the dragonness just smirked a bit as she threw one of her many shawls over her shoulder.

"Hm, yes. It means 'Child of Forever.' Fitting, since this one's bones are as ancient as the land beneath your feet." Grey eyes flashed with something hidden, and though Chiyoko-sama tried very hard to conceal it from view, Kagome could have sworn she looked most somber, almost lonely.

"Well, I have adjusted the intent of the spell, but I am afraid that is all I can do. Now off with you, I would like to return to my solitude." Bejeweled, green claws extended and waved them way, but as the now liberated (somewhat) pair turned to depart, the dragonness brought the same hand up to her chin and pursed her lips before whispering something in an ancient tongue.

Sesshomaru stiffened as he felt a veil of some kind wash over him, but his body felt perfectly normal. Glancing back at the priestess his eyebrow arched in question, but as he turned to confront her his eyes moved past the miko, revealing the answer. The old bat had frozen time, as was evident by the miko who had stopped mid-stride at his side.

The raised brow remained arched high into his bangs as he looked at the old onna and the unfathomable glint in those foreboding grey eyes. Clearly, she had something to say to him that she didn't want the miko to hear.

"Speak." Sesshomaru let the command pass through the small space between him and the priestess. He had run out of patience with the situation, and her inability to do as he desired left him feeling there was no need to show the same previous level of respect despite the ancient power dwelling within her. Chiyoko knew this, and she didn't really mind. Titles didn't matter to her, at least, not anymore.

"This will be quite a challenge for you, young lord." The dragon's voice spoke of prophecy and revelation, and Sesshomaru knew her words were a forewarning, not mere conjecture.

"You've let your heart lay to waste in your chest for so long, the hope that another soul will be able to heal the wounds your own foolishness has inflicted upon you is nearly impossible. And yet, the only soul pure enough to breathe life into your decrepit darkness is the very soul you have so deeply wounded. If you do not take this chance to let the warmth of her light thaw your frigid heart, I'm afraid you will lose much more than you can afford."

Haunting words followed by the vacant stare of the priestess made his beast's hackles rise. "What do you suggest this Sesshomaru do?" Sesshomaru could not negate the weight of her words, as he honestly knew that she was not one to deliver prophecies lightly, and, if it concerned the miko, her advice might very well be needed.

"Embrace her light. Embrace her love. Embrace her and everything she is, for she is your salvation." With that a *snap* rang clear in the air and time began to move, but the priestess was gone.

* * *

Grey eyes watched the retreating pair with a nostalgic smile playing on lilac lips.

"Oh, my. Oh, my." Chiyoko giggled into her silk shawl as she watched the destined pair leave her dwelling.

"I never thought I'd see the day where your light could be rivaled, my dear Midoriko."

* * *

**AN: Hey everyone, I know that was longer than usual, but I hope it was worth it! Please leave a review and let me know what you think if you have the time :)**

**Also, quick shoutout to the people who have left comments so far: Individua do mal, Iparsons96, HHimori, and Dreamerkins! Your support makes me that much more motivated to write and get chapters out quickly! I hope you continue to enjoy the story! **

**That's it for now. Hope to see you next chapter!**


	5. The Love Spell: Chapter 5

**I REGRET TO INFORM YOU, MY DEAR READERS, THAT I AM NOT THE OWNER NOR CREATOR OF THE FABULOUS WORK OF FICTION, INUYASHA.**

* * *

Kagome and the gang sat around the flickering flames of a fire that no longer offered any warmth due to the chilling news they had received earlier that day. Kagome went through everything Chiyoko-sama had said and when she had finished the silence was deafening.

"Unifying Hearts…" Sango's murmur was no more than a whisper, as if she was trying to consider how to make the impossible possible. How to make the loving soul of Kagome fully understand and accept the dark void that was Sesshomaru's.

"This is bullshit! Kagome can't love a monster like the royal douche!" Inuyasha was expressing his frustration over the situation in his typical fashion—raving and raging. The hyped up hanyou was practically digging a trench by the pace and force in which he was pacing. Not that it wasn't understandable, but him becoming unhinged wasn't helping the situation.

"Very helpful insight, Half-breed." Sesshomaru's usual impassivity had returned once they had left the priestess' lair, and his head was now filled with his own concerns. A renowned general and a master tactician, yet still Sesshomaru found himself thinking the same thing as the whelp. The situation was looking hopeless.

"Calm down, Inuyasha." Kagome's calming voice stopped her enraged friend from attacking on the daiyoukai, and probably getting his asked kicked in the process. Like she needed to add attending to the fool's wounds to her list of things to do tonight.

"I still don't understand." Miroku was just shaking his head as he leaned against his staff in clear confusion. "Why would Naraku take the time and effort to find someone capable of creating such a powerful spell just to make one of us fall for the other?" Miroku's confusion was mirrored in everyone's eyes, even the daiyoukai's usually guarded gaze.

"Not 'one of us,'" Sango corrected brefore clarigying. "Before Naraku left, he said the spell was intended for Inuyasha and Kikyo." All eyes turned on Inuyasha then and the hanyou's ears began to twitch.

"Why you bastards looking at me for? I don't know what the damn spider had planned with the spell!" Inuyasha was bristling. His past of being bullied and blamed for things he didn't do making him act defensive.

"We are not implying that you are privy to Naraku's plan, Inuyasha, but it is true that he had intended the spell for you and Lady Kikyo." Violet eyes closed in exasperation.

"Why would Naraku waste such a strong spell on InuBaka when he is already in love with Kikyo?" Shippo's innocent question attracted all adult eyes to the oblivious kit before casting nervous glances to the young woman on whose lap he was currently perched.

"Oh, none of that." Kagome dismissed the current tension with a flip of her wrist, an action that surprised both the inus present. "What a good observation, Shippo. It's obvious that Inuyasha is infatuated with Kikyo, I mean, he gets distracted every time she's around. This news is by no means new, so why bother with such a spell?"

Miroku's eyes flashed with comprehension then as the words of his clever friend processed in his mind. Moving in to sit on a log closer to the rest of the group so everyone could hear, the monk settled down and laid his staff across his lap as if he was about to tell the children a bed time story. "What if Naraku intended for it to be just that, a distraction?"

The group looked at the monk and waited for him to continue, and when he failed to do so the slayer lost her patience.

"Spit it out, Houshi. We have no need for your theatrics tonight." Sango thumped her recently bandaged fist over her Hiraikotsu to voice her impatience.

"Of course, my dear Sango. To put it simply, the spell was meant to distract us from our hunt of the last remaing jewel shard. If the spell had been cast on Lady Kikyo and Inuyasha our efforts would have been in vain to try and seperate them—just like they were with the infatuated Lady Kagome who chased after Lord Sesshomaru."

"We don't need to mention that. Like, ever again." Kagome interrupted as she tucked her chin down in chagrin. She hated that she had acted like that and didn't need any reminders.

"My apologies, Lady Kagome." Miroku bowed his head in apology for embarrassing the young girl but continued on with his explanation as if he had not been interrupted.

"If Inuyasha had been the one to be cast under the spell, the, the… What did Chiyoko-sama say the term was again?" Miroku looked to the miko but the deep voice of a certain daiyoukai answered instead.

"The intended." The blunt reply was met with only a brief pause before Miroku collected himself.

"Ah, yes, thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. If Inuyasha had become the intended, he would have most likely deserted us to follow Lady Kikyo in her travels—leaving us not only lacking in man power but also greatly restricting our travel speed since Lady Kagome would no longer have Inuyasha to carry her."

Miroku saw Inuyasha about to interrupt him, so he raised a hand in an effort to quell what he believed to be the hanyou's next question. "Even if Lady Kikyo decided to stay and work alongside us while Inuyasha was under the curse, the tension between the group would undoubtably be intense as we all experienced with Lady, er..." Miroku stummbled breifly as he tried to not directly insinuate Kagome's and Sesshomaru's previous relationship under the curse due to Kagome's earlier embarrasment. "As was our personal experience dealing with the curse so far. Furthermore, the same could be said to ensue if Lady Kikyo became the infatuated party. It would not only further distract Inuyasha, but also sow discord among us as a group as the tension inevitably rose between Inuyasha and Lady Kagome."

The lecture was complete and everyone looked on in silence as they digest the monk's wise words. He was right, even Inuyasha knew that. If Kikyo had been forced upon them, in any form or fashion, the atmosphere wouldn't have been ideal for progress. Fights between Kagome and Inuyasha would have been inevitable, even if she had already decided to give up on him, and the likely hood that Kagome would have been forced home due to the pain and awkwardness of the situation was high.

"That's actually really good news!" Kagome smiled like she actually meant it for the first time since leaving Chiyoko-sama's cave, and everyone looked at her like she was crazy.

"Um, Kagome-chan." Sango began hesitantly. "I know the other situation would not have been ideal were Inuyasha and Kikyo to be the spell's victims, but I still wouldn't go as far to say that it is good news. Don't forget, you've been, um, joined to Sesshomaru-sama in a rather inconvenient way."

"Yeah, Wench. What about any of this shit is good news? You like being spell-bound to a walking icicle?" Inuyasha grumbled as he folded his arms in to his crimson sleeves.

Sesshomaru also watched on in confused silence as he began truly considering the possibility the miko had suffered mental damage in her previous battle against the spider hanyou. Her words making it sound like she was happy with their current situation, which he very much was not.

"Come on guys, think about it!" Kagome stood up and continued to hold Shippo around the middle like a little girl with her teddy bear. "Think about how much effort and planning would have to go into a plan like this! The priestess said this was a strong spell, so Naraku had to find someone even capable of casting it and he had to plan a diversion to set this all up. It seems like a waste of time to us, but to Naraku it was necessary. That means Naraku is desperate! He is struggling to find the jewel shard just as much as we are so he needed to buy himself time!"

Kagome's analysis struck everyone like a powerful chord, and all for different reasons. The Inu-taichi were relieved and overjoyed because this revelation made them all hopeful. They had always been secretly worried that Naraku was closing in on the jewel or had already acquired it, but if what Kagome said was true that meant Naraku really was just as lost on the last jewel shard's location as they were

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was impressed by the miko's rather intuitive analytical ability. What she had said was logical, concise, and, most probably, correct. Sesshomaru had always assumed the miko was a mere ornamental piece among her group, a "jewel shard detector" as his half-brother had so eloquently deemed her in the past, and here she was delivering an insightful analysis that even a general like him had yet to consider.

**Mate smart. **_Silence!_

"Well, yes that would make sense. I would say that's wonderful news, Kagome-chan!" Sango sent her friend a warm smile and Kagome hugged Shippo a little tighter in newfound glee. Kagome's heart had been in such turmoil since this whole thing began, but the thought that their chance to be on, somewhat, equal footing with Naraku made her happy. Truly happy.

"Keh, why are you celebrating, Wench. Aren't you forgetting something?" Inuyasha's amber eyes were hard as he seemed to be focused on something rather unpleasant rather than the good news the rest of the Inu-taichi we discussing. Everyone turned to look at the annoyed hanyou and his only answer was to point a clawed finger over to where the demon lord was reclined against a near by tree with his pack.

"You've just been put under a hell of a strong spell that _connects_," Inuyasha spat the last word as if it were tainted, "you to that bastard. In heart and soul. Doesn't that concern the lot of you?" Inuyasha words were aggravated, but his anger was not directed at them. No, internally he was freaking out. Inuyasha knew he wasn't good enough for Kagome, but anyone would have been better to be her partner than the icey prick. How could he let such an emotional bound form between his best friend and the beast that had mercilessly tormented him for most of his existence. There had to be another way.

Kagome was momentary brought down from her high as she followed her friend's finger to the figure she was indeed currently spell-bound to. A cold and distant gaze of gold met her contemplating blues, and she felt a twitch in her heart, a desire to turn and run, but that just wasn't who Kagome was.

"Don't focus on the negative, Inu." Kagome's face unexpectedly broke into a bright smile as she sat Shippo down and walked over to pet the grumpy dog's ears, but he swatted her hands away.

"Look at the bright side. None of us have to deal with that other spell anymore and I can stop acting like an idiot."

"Like that's possible," Inuyasha interrupted before his ear was suddenly being held hostage between two lightly pinching fingers.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha, I didn't hear you. Would you care to repeat yourself?" The smile Kagome wore was no longer bright and shiny like the sun but more threatening and sinister like a crime boss shaking someone down for money. A furious shake of the head, and Kagome released the now pouting dog's ear to continue with what she had been saying.

"Anyways, I am in complete control of myself now, and for that I am thankful to Chiyoko-sama. The Unifying Hearts spell might not be easy to break, maybe even impossible, but I have more hope of breaking this spell than the other one since there was no 'intent' behind Naraku's spell. Besides, the possible side effects don't sound that bad." Kagome shrugged as she began walking over to her bag. She was tired after everything that had happened that day and she was ready for bed.

"Side-effects?" Sango watched as Kagome whipped out her sleeping bag and with a practiced flourish laid it out perfectly on the ground. During Kagome's rendition of her conversation with the dragonness, she had never mentioned the other side effects.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you guys about them?" Kagome asked. She was sitting on her sleeping bag as she reached for her brush, her only weapon against Shippo's unruly mass of auburn hair. She almost looked like it was any other night and that their discussion was not crucial to solving a powerful spell that she, herself, was under.

"No, you failed to mention it." Inuyasha mumbled as he was still pouting from his new position high within a tree.

"Ah, well…" Kagome began as she tried to remember everything Chiyoko-sama had told them about the new spell and what to expect for possible side-effects.

**_—_****_Flashback—_**

Rifling through cabinets, Chiyoko-sama began to explain some possible side effects of the Unifying Hearts spell.

"Now, children. This spell is different in intent than the Love Fulfillment spell. It is much deeper as it requires a connection of souls rather than simple infatuation. Therefore, you can expect some more troublesome side effects to arise."

A cup crashed to the ground as the priestess climbed up on to the table to reach a precariously placed tea pot on the top shelf of the cabinet.

"More troublesome than being chained to this Miko?" Sesshomaru wore an open expression of disbelief as Chiyoko-sama continued to work on whatever she was doing, so only Kagome had the _privilege_ of seeing an actual expression on his stony face.

"Oh, very much so." The dragonness gave an airy chuckle. "And this old one would love to be there to see how you handle them, Young Lord." Her mirth was met with a slight snarl from the daiyoukai. He didn't like it when anyone doubted his abilities in anything.

"This spell requires acceptance and understanding. To accept and to understand, one must get to know someone well beyond what lies at the surface, and that requires time spent together. This means you two will still not be able to be parted for long periods of time. How long? I'm not sure, but I'm sure you'll figure it out quickly. That pain response is a fast teacher."

The dragon priestess poured some boiling water into the beautifully crafted tea pot. It was ivory with a blue and black dragon dancing around its base. As she began to cut some roots and plop them into the water to simmer along with the countless herbs, she continued.

"Yes, also understanding the other's feelings is crucial to getting closer, so it is possible for strong emotions to be transmitted to one another."

This was met with a bark of outrage from the silver inu. "You mean to say I will be privy to the emotional mess that is the Miko?" The outrage was clear as red began to seep into Sesshomaru's golden eyes, and Kagome couldn't really blame him. She would conceed that she was more emotional than most and it would undoubtably be annoying if this robot of a youkai would have to compute all her different types of emotions throughout the day.

"Not necessarily, Young Lord. I am saying exceptionally strong emotion, and yours can also be transmitted to her. Perhaps this will be helpful in your efforts to understand one another.

Sesshomaru brought his hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was clear to Kagome that he didn't think that would be the case.

"Also," Chiyoko-sama continued as she began searching for matching cups to the intricate tea pot. Finding them on a hook hanging over her sink, she used an old broom to loop through the handles and bring them to the table. Kagome's heart dropped when she saw one of the antique cups nearly fall to the floor before being caught by the agile draggonness. Both cups were the same ivory as the tea pot, except the two dragons that decorated the tea pot now sat individually on each of the two cups, marking one in black and the other in blue.

"Moments of physical contact might be needed." The priestess warned as she glanced over her shoulder. Honestly, she had wanted to see the two's reactions. She wasn't disappointed.

Kagome's face flushed with the insinuation in Chiyoko-sama's voice and what it could possibly entail, and Sesshomaru's eyes flashed completely red before going back to burnt copper.

"I refuse." Sesshomaru's snarl curled his upper lip and he truly did look menacing, but Chiyoko-sama seemed unaffected. Kagome began to wonder if the old dragon could beat Sesshomaru in a fight. If her unfazed behavior said anything about her strength, Kagome wagered the priestess had a chance.

"You might not have a choice, pup." Grey eyes flashed like lightening as she stooped to gather the tray the tea pot and cups had been placed. "The spell will decide what is necessary for the two of you and it will act accordingly. Now be warned, trying to defy the spell can lead to unpleasant consequences, and if you try to free yourself by unsavory means you will be the one to perish." Her grey eyes narrowed as she looked at the arrogant demon lord, but Kagome caught her attention with a question.

"What do you mean, unsavory means?" Kagome had also glanced at Sesshomaru once those words were said and she thought it was in her best interest to have it stated explicitly.

"I mean, little one, that if one of you were to try and, say, have the other one killed off to circumnavigate your inability to physically harm one another." Eyes again glanced at Sesshomaru.

"Then the survivor would come to find the spell's effects were still in place. As death separated you from one another, the living member would suffer excruciating pain until they, themeselves, perished of literal heart break." Chiyoko-sama finished as she sat the tray down on the table.

"What if one of us is careless and dies of their own volition and inability to protect themselves." Barely veiling his insult to the miko, Sesshomaru voiced a very valid concern that the clumsy miko would die by her own faults and leave him to suffer the consequences of the spell alone.

"Same result." The dragonness lowered herself back into her chair with a sigh. "Also, side effects tend to only get worse the longer two people are under the spell's influence, so I would suggest you two get nice and chummy real quick before some of the nastier side-effects come to play."

"Such as?" Sesshomaru asked of the informative, yet lacking in substance at times, priestess.

"That, Young Lord," Chiyoko's fangs flashed in a mischievous grin, "you will have to find out on your own."

**_—_****_End Flashback—_**

"What in the hell does she mean by physical contact!" Inuyasha growled as he crouched low on the tree branch, ready to pounce on Sesshomaru like the daiyoukai was about to steal the miko away at any moment.

"Yes, what does she mean indeed," Miroku's indecent smirk and leering gaze were wiped away by a well delivered slap from the slayer.

"Quit it you two. That isn't the only thing she said, and I agree with Kagome. Compared to Naraku's spell, this dragon priestess' spell sounds much more manageable." Sango crossed her arms and with a bob of her head that bounced her high tail, she made it clear that the discussion was over—at least for tonight.

"Of course, my dear Sango. I only wish that we could have been the recipients of such a spell. I would not have minded getting very physical if it meant our two hearts could be finally unified." Miroku fell on his knees as he grabbed Sango's hand and laid a firm kiss on the back of it.

Sango was shocked and cherry faced by the monk's slightly suggestive comment. She didn't mind when he lavished her with such frilly praise, really. She only minded when his hand… His hand.

Slap. Sango delivered another blow so skillful that the monk nearly spun a full 360 before landing on the ground. While his kiss on the back of her hand was sweet and welcome, his cursed hand reaching behind her to grope her firm rear was definitely not.

"Don't wish such misfortune on me, you damn hentai!" Sango stomped off to the other side of camp and copied Kagome by preparing for bed.

Kagome laughed at the two's antics. It was almost a nightly ritual by now, but, more mornings than not, Kagome would always wake up to find Miroku had moved in close to Sango so they could hold hands while they slept. They were a cute couple and she knew as soon as they killed Naraku the bold monk would be proposing to the timid slayer. If he didn't, Kagome would have to kick his ass. She'd honestly have no choice in the matter.

With a quite giggle to herself, Kagome looked down into the drooping eyes of her kit. Shippo always fell asleep when she brushed his hair. Kagome scooped the sleeping kit into her arms and set him on the inner side of her sleeping bag. As she was preparing to slide in herself, she felt a presence hanging over her. Blue eyes flashed to see who it was and was surprised to find the demon lord. Kagome had assumed he was as done with her and their situation as she was for the day, so why was he seeking her out?

"May I help you, Sesshomaru?" Kagome spoke quietly as she didn't want to wake Shippo and she tried to remain somewhat polite. They were supposed to be 'unifying their hearts' after all, and that was hard to do if they were always at each other's throats.

Sesshomaru wanted to remind the forgetful miko that she was not worthy to call his name in such a way, but he restrained himself. He would need the miko's cooperation and for that, though he hated it, he would have to actually work with the miko instead of arguing with her.

"Come, Miko." Was all the daiyoukai said before he turned and walked away. Oh, how she hated when he did that, but she followed regardless.

Sesshomaru led them no more than a few yards into the forrest. The dull human ears of their companions could not hear their conversation anyways, but he would still erect a barrier to keep curious half-breeds from eavesdropping.

After the barrier had been erected, Sesshomaru turned again to find the miko had followed obediently._ If only she could respond so well to orders all the time. _

"What do you want, Sesshomaru?" Kagome's impatient tone interrupted his musings. Gold eyes narrowed at her tone, but he again chose to ignore it.

"This Sesshomaru wishes to discuss how we are to resolve this issue as quickly and as efficiently as possible." There, his intentions were clear and his request was reasonable. There was no way the miko would have a problem with such a thing, right?

"Oh," Kagome was taken aback by how Sesshomaru had addressed her. It had almost, _almost_, been a polite request. Her arms moving from her sides to rest under her chest, her head tilted to one side.

"Do you currently have any ideas you'd like to discuss?" Kagome mimicked Sesshomaru's business like persona and waited from him to respond.

"No, Miko." Sesshomaru's teeth snapped a little as he replied. "This Sesshomaru has yet to to devise an acceptable plan and is therefore thinking a solution should be thought of together considering both of use are equally afflicted." Sesshomaru's annoyance was slowly rising._ Am I supposed to do all the work?_

"I understand, Sesshomaru, but if you don't currently have any ideas and I also don't currently have any ideas, there isn't much to discuss." Kagome saw the daiyoukai preparing to argue so she made her second point clear. "Plus, I am exhausted. Today has killed my brain with the amount of information and change in events that have occurred and I know I will not be much use in such a state. Maybe after some sleep we can have this discussion."

Kagome had been relatively polite as she rejected his offer, but all Sesshomaru heard was the stubborn miko telling him no. No one told him no. If he didn't become so incensed in the little onna's presences, he probably would have agreed to her reasoning and let her go, but his animal instincts were rioting over the fact that she continued to act like his alpha instead of it being the other way around.

"Listen, Miko. If this is going to work, you will have to listen to this Sesshomaru's commands. This stubbornness of yours is counterproductive to our cause!" The low growl emanating from Sesshomaru's chest was met with a growl of Kagome's very own as her hands moved to her hips in a defiant stance.

"Stubborn? You think that was being stubborn, Sesshomaru? Listen here pal, I can show you stubborn and that was definitely not stubborn. Everything I just said was perfectly reasonable and it is your insistence to treat me like a brainless puppet that is what truly impedes our cause! So you, Sesshomaru, need to listen to me instead. If we are going to undue this spell, you have to start listening to what I say, not obey, just listen. I'm telling you I'm tired. Humans get tired much faster than demons, Sesshomaru, and you need to understand that these differences between us need to be addressed and accepted if we want to 'unify our hearts,' or whatever. Understanding and acceptance can't be found if you just dismiss everything I say, think, and feel. I know this, but you need to learn it." Kagome panted with the physical exertion she had just gone through to hopefully drive her message into the resistant daiyoukai's brain.

Sesshomaru stared at the miko as her chest heaved with the effort in which she used to hurl her rant at his person. He had listened, yes, but he didn't like it. Sesshomaru grew up not having an ounce of consideration for anyone's feelings or opinions, and he grew up with youkai royalty. Why should he care for such things with an insignificant miko?

**Because by doing so you can free yourself from the curse. **His beast replied. That was true. Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to be free of the miko, so if he had to try and understand her, he might as well go about it her way. He had no idea how to do so otherwise.

"Fine, Miko." Sesshomaru once again reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "But we will discuss this tomorrow. Don't you dare try and flee."

Again shocked blue eyes feel on narrowed gold. She was surprised he was relenting so quickly. Kagome thought she'd even have to throw some reiki around before he realized how serious she was about this. Lowering her hands off her hips to portray a less volatile position, Kagome gave a shallow bow with her head.

"Thank you for understanding. I will try and think of some solutions before we convene tomorrow." With that said, the miko turned and strolled her way back to camp, seemingly unbothered.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was incredibly bothered. By the whole situation and not just the miko, though she was a big part of it. _What an insufferable creature. _For the first time in centuries, Sesshomaru had no idea how to proceed and all because a certain miko was proving to be impossibly difficult.

**What if you mate the miko? **His beast's suddenly propositioned in a half-assed attempt to sound nonchalant. Sesshomaru growled in frustration as this was not the first time his beast had voiced such a desire. C_ease this ridiculous fixation on mating the miko. If you have nothing useful to say, remain silent. _Sesshomaru's inner voice spoke of his aggravation towards his beast and the situation, but his beast did not heed his warning.

**Just listen. To fulfill the new ****_intent_** **one must be unified in heart and soul, yes? **The beast waited for his logical side to interrupt, but when he refrained his beast flashed a sly smirk before continuing. **What stronger form of unification exists than the soul binding of a youkai mating—is it not the ultimate level of understanding and acceptance? **

Silence met the beast's inquiry. In a way, Sesshomaru knew he was right. A youkai mating was far more intricate than that of humans. In it, two beings actually share parts of their souls, literally and figuratively binding themselves together for eternity. Even if one were to die, a portion of the departed's soul would remain as part of their mate for the remainder of their lives—binding them even in death.

Because of its significance, mating was seen as a very sacred ritual in the world of youkai and the idea of mating the miko, though repugnant, was worth considering if it meant relieving himself of this curse where he would be shackled to the miko's side for his entire life.

Yes, and if they mated he could be virtually rid of her after the ceremony had commenced and the spell brocken. He had no desire to mate one of those manipulating vipers of the youkai court, so he didn't have anything there holding him back. The only problem would be…

_It can't be done. _Sesshomaru's voice was exhausted and neared disappointment. To mate the miko would require… A thunderous growl reverberated threw his mind as his beast's irritation with his other half exploded. **Why the hell not?! **Glowing red eyes glared at him from within a deep, dark cell, daring him to voice one plausible reason the beast's plan could not work.

_A mating_, Sesshomaru began slowly as he released another heavy internal sigh, _requires the consent of both parties. The miko will never willingly agree to be ours. _The responding silence lasted for only a second before Sesshomaru's beast was in full on ranting mode.

**Then make her consent! And not in your typical 'do as I say, when I say,' bullshit. Court the girl like the alpha bitch she is! She is a forgiving soul. Use that! Play on her desire to help, to save, because she does. She wants to save us, and if you don't let her then, god dammit, I will be forced to take control. Don't test me, pup. I can do it if it means our survival, and by the dragon's words, it does. **

The onslaught of barks and snarls made Sesshomaru's head hurt, but he listened to his beast—the last line especially. He was right. Sesshomaru's instincts screamed that he needed to survive this and since his conception he had always done everything in his power to survive. Why should this time be any different. Lowering his head into his hand, a sigh actually escaped his lips.

_Fine. Then how do you propose we proceed?_

* * *

**AN: HELLO EVERYONE! I hope you have been enjoying the story. Once again, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review this story. I really enjoy reading the comments and insight you all provide. **

**It has come to my attention through one anonymous review that this story has a very angsty feel to it, and I thank whoever it was that pointed this out. They had mentioned that they would appreciate a little more humor for their taste and this led me to going back and seeing this story was originally labeled as a humor and romance fan fic (which it still is). I am so sorry if anyone thinks I have led you hear under false pretenses, but I really just hadn't intended for the beginning to be so dramatic and angsty. I have fixed the story's labels though so hopefully no one else gets the wrong impression, but there will be more humor and romance coming soon (like next chapter)! **

**Please leave a review if you like the story so I can see that people are actually enjoying it! Reviews often help me develop the story better and motivate me to get the next chapter out a little faster! **

**See you all next time!**


	6. The Love Spell: Chapter 6

**I DON'T OWN INUYASHA,** but if I did, Sesshomaru would have found Kagome first.

* * *

Sesshomaru and his beast stayed up well into the night trying to devise a plan to woo the stubborn, er,_ independent _miko. However, as the sun's light began to touch the horizon and the birds began to sing their morning songs, a satisfactory approach had yet to be found. His beast, as his instinctual side, insisted Sesshomaru go about courting her like he would with any other alpha bitch—the demon way. He hailed the ancestral method as being a sure-fire way to win even the miko's human heart, but Sesshomaru wasn't convinced.

The miko, as one of her many flaws, was undoubtably a human. She would not be able to appreciate nor comprehend what his actions signified through a demon courting. She wouldn't understand that hunting for her implied Sesshomaru was more than a wealthy youkai, but a capable provider. His pureblood lineage didn't seem to matter at all to the little creature, if her infatuation with the half-breed meant anything, so Sesshomaru's status as Western Lord and her attainment of Western Lady through their mating would therefore be useless leverage in his pursuit of the troublesome female.

Again, Sesshomaru found himself in unfamiliar territory because of the miko as the frustrated inu ran through every courtship method he knew of, over and over again, until his head was practically spinning. He was lost. Sesshomaru was of a proud and noble lineage. As such, he had never wanted for bed partners or, if he so desired, he would have had his pick of all youkai royalty for his mate, but here he was thinking of how to woo a worthless human.

A youkai bitch would have been much preferred in this situation. All this Sesshomaru would have to do would be order her submission and let her spread her legs for him. Why did it have to be his future _mate _was an insufferable miko?

**We would have been bored with such a bitch before even finishing our first rut. The miko is fiery, strong, and loving. She makes for the best mate. **

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. Even if his beast had no idea how to court the onna it so desired, his beast still made it a point to praise her and her potential as a worthy mate of this Sesshomaru the entire night. If Sesshomaru thought his beast was capable of such a cognitive approach, the daiyoukai would think its constant ravings about the miko were its clever idea of slowly shifting Sesshomaru's thoughts on the onna simply through repetitive exposure. Though, Sesshomaru knew his beast could never devise such a round about and time consuming method, it had never been one for drawn out battle plans.

_It matters not if she will make a good mate if we are incapable of even courting her. _Sesshomaru growled out in aggravation. Sesshomaru didn't care about the miko's attributes, her loyalty, beauty, intelligence, or whatever else his beast wished to praise about her. All Sesshomaru wanted was the spell to be lifted and for that his best chance was the soul binding of a youkai mating. His beast had been right about one thing though. A youkai mating was the deepest level of understanding and acceptance two souls could experience on this earth, at least, as far as the demon lord knew.

**Try a display of strength. Don't humans also do those types of things? **His beast was laying in its cage with its head upon its paws, looking as if all the mental strain Sesshomaru was experiencing at the moment wasn't its doing. With a narrowing of his golden eyes at his beast's unperturbed demeanor, Sesshomaru considered the suggestion.

_This Sesshomaru has already displayed his strength before the wench many times. We have even saved her on occasion. Why would now be any different? _The beast rolled its ruby red eyes at its logical half.

**She has seen our strength, that is true, but it was when ****_yo_****u were threatening her or her pack. Do you not think it would be ****_different _****if you were to display such strength in the name of her protection or their group's cause in hunting for the shard? **

Sesshomaru didn't like the sarcastic tone underlying his beast's message, but it did have a point. He had tried to kill both her and her beloved half-breed in the past, even if their packs had been on 'friendlier' terms since his fight with Magatsushi.

_That, is something this Sesshomaru can manage. _A display of strength was also done in youkai courting, and it was not something that was beyond the realm of his comfort. Plus, the strength necessary to impress the little miko would probably be negligible to one such as him since the one he would be compared to would be the half-breed. It was likely he would have to exert little to no effort to perform such a task. _What else do humans do for courting? _

The beast released a bark that sounded suspiciously like a scoff. **This one knows only what you know, pup. Or have you forgotten that we are one? **

Thick sarcasm now dripped from his beast's words, as was usual for whenever the topic of their separated physiological status came up. His beast had always been bitter over Sesshomaru refusing to pair with it at the point of puberty. To his beast, it felt like a rejection of the natural order, but to Sesshomaru it was his way of proving that he was stronger than those who rely on the aid of their beastly side for power. Sesshomaru was now the strongest youkai in Japan, and that was due solely to his own efforts and abilities.

"Hn" Sesshomaru acknowledged that their lack of knowledge on human mating could prove troublesome. "Perhaps some reconnaissance is necessary…"

* * *

_He's doing it again_**_. _**Kagome couldn't help the cold sense of icy fingers trailing her spine when she realized the empty golden eyes of a certain daiyoukai were once again following her every move. It was only the second day of their travels since Sesshomaru and Kagome had their Love Fulfillment spell changed into the Unifying Hearts spell, but Kagome felt they were no closer in understanding each other now than the two beings had been at their first meeting.

For one, Sesshomaru was still maintaining his distance from the little miko and her pack. The rest of the Inu-taichi (plus Rin) resumed their normal and jovial behavior once they had set off in search of the last remaining jewel shard, and this included but was not limited to: nonsense spats between the hanyou and miko, a slap here and there from the slayer to the misbehaving monk, and two rambunctious children finding all sorts of ways to mess around and play as the group travelled. All this pleasantness, however, was done despite the uncomfortable presence of one silent daiyoukai and one not-so-silent kappa retainer.

Kagome had tried extremely hard on the first day to include the cold youkai, the one she now thought had to be part yuki (snow) youkai, but her efforts were in vain. The only response she got from the ice prince was maybe one "Hn," and the shrieking of a despicable toad who called the miko a "Insolent ningen."

_Well, if he isn't going to play nice, then why do I have to be the only one to make an effort? _Kagome recollected herself after the embarrassment of being shot down numerous times on their first day of travel, and she decided that if he wasn't going to try and 'understand' her or 'accept' their situation, than neither was she. Kagome was done doing all the work to help emotionally constipated youkai realize what emotional support and being social entailed.

Hell, it had taken her months to get Inuyasha to realize how important having their friends support and companionship meant to them. Not only do strong bonds with others make one stronger, they serve to make their group, their pack, a formidable force that can anticipate each others movements (not always so with the brash hanyou) and protect one another. Why were youkai incapable of seeing such logic? For the youkai Kagome knew, like Sesshomaru and the old Inuyasha, it seemed that they were prone to believe emotional bonds were a weakness. That was something the loving miko just couldn't understand. _Why would anyone chose such an isolated existence? _

It wasn't until the next day that Kagome noticed a chilling sensation raise the hair on the back of her neck. At first, the miko assumed this meant a threatening presence was near, so she quickly called both the children to her side in as calm a manner as she could manage. Her miko senses didn't detect any threatening youki, but her maternal side warned her to stay alert.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango had been walking beside her and noticed the miko's stiff posture. In an effort to not alert the children to her own unease, Kagome just gave the slayer a meaningful look, one her dear friend had seen hundreds of time. With a stiff nod and a grim set to her lips, Sango quietly moved from Kagome's side to walk with purpose up to Miroku. From there the group fell in to a familiar pattern as all the adults trusted Kagome's senses and they formed a protective formation.

Inuyasha took to the trees so he could observe the entire group from a higher vantage point, Miroku took the lead as Sango once again returned to walk slightly behind Kagome, and the children now rode beside the miko on the back of a transformed Kirara. Shippo new what this subtle shift in stance signified, but he did his best to keep calm and make the fascinated Rin enjoy the experience of ridding on Kirara—something that made Kagome very proud of her observant little kit.

However, nothing happened. Kagome had that odd sensation at random intervals the entire day, but nothing dangerous nor threatening ever reared its ugly head to bother them. It had actually been a rather peaceful day and their tense atmosphere made them cover more ground than usual since there was no foolishness occurring. The others thought this was odd, but they dismissed it as they began the normal routine of setting up camp. Kagome, however, was still tense and paranoid. She could still _feel_ someone or something watching her, and it made the poor miko a little jumpy. This didn't go unnoticed by her friends.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango's voice was soft as she approached the frazzled miko. Her raven locks whipped to the side as Kagome instantly snapped to attention. Seeing it was only Sango, Kagome tried to calm the pounding of her heart.

"Ah, yeah? Is there something you need, Sango?" Kagome's face split into her usual friendly smile, but the expression did not reach her guarded eyes as they swept the campsite compulsively.

"It's not what I need, Kagome-chan. It's what you need." Kagome's penetrating blues locked on Sango's chocolate brown eyes, and the gentle yet concerned look in those eyes made Kagome heave a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I just feel like someone's been watching me all day and it's really creeping me out." Kagome raised her hand to scratch the back of her head sheepishly. The girl knew she was acting crazy, but there was something really unsettling about the gaze she felt following her. It didn't feel like the sickening gaze of Naraku, but it was equally unsettling in its persistence and intensity. Due to her rise in ability, Kagome could somewhat sense when someone stared at her with evil intentions, but something told the little miko that wasn't the case this time. Either way, it had Kagome on edge.

"I can see that, but I know something that might cheer you up!" Sango's lyrical voice and plotting smile had Kagome smiling involuntarily in response. She loved it when her friend wore such a smile. It either meant the girls were about to cause trouble for their dear male travel companions or that the two would be partaking in some much needed girl time. Kagome was down for either at the moment.

"When I went with Kirara to get firewood I ran across a rather isolated hot spring not too far from here. I was thinking we could go relax. Of course, only if you are up to it." Sango's smile was knowing as she saw the light shine brilliantly once more in her young friend's eyes. If anyone ever needed to know anything about Kagome, it was that she was a sucker for hot springs. It could wash away any of the future miko's problems.

"I'll go get my stuff!" Kagome sang as she bounded over to her bag, infighting the curiosity of every male in the clearing, and that does mean _every_ male. She also caught the attention of two playing children which resulted in the two young women bringing along two bouncing bundles of joy on their tiny adventure.

"Don't stay out too long! I'm not coming to save your asses if some youkai decides to take a peek because you lot stayed out till dark!" Inuyasha's language was dismissive, but there was care behind his words. The monk and hanyou always felt a little uneasy when the two females left to take a bath, but with the fiery temper of their miko and expert killing senses of their slayer, the two had learned long ago that trying to follow would result in their own misfortune rather than some random youkai. With that lesson in mind, they assumed the two could handle themselves as well as the children.

* * *

Golden eyes followed the miko and slayer as they led the two children along by their hands into the forrest. As an alpha male, Sesshomaru couldn't comprehend how the half-breed and monk could let the women leave unguarded in an unknown territory. The hanyou's senses weren't even strong enough to detect whether or not there were youkai in the surrounding area. Sesshomaru, of course, could sense that there was no present dangers, but that did not clarify why the two males who were usually overly protective of their female pack mates would be so careless.

This thought also concerned him because the miko had taken his ward along with her. Doing so without a glance in his direction for approval, the youkai noted in annoyance. Gracefully rising from his reclined position against an old tree, the daiyoukai began to head in the opposite direction of the women and children. As he predicted, neither of the two males paid him any attention as his white form faded into the surrounding foliage before circling around the camp to follow the tantalizing scent of the miko and her entourage.

Sesshomaru had to know that Rin was safe. That was the only reason he was pursing the miko into the woods, and if he could manage some more reconnaissance along the way, it would just be an added benefit for his efforts. At least, that's what the arrogant youkai told himself, and his beast just watched from its cage with a lazy wag of its tail and a sly, fanged smile.

* * *

Shippo launched himself off the slightly elevated rock edge before he plummeted into the warm mineral water of the hot spring, splashing Rin in the process.

"Shippo-chan, no fair! Rin can't climb that high." The little girl pouted as an auburn head bobbed in the water with glee for his apparent display of superior ability.

"That's not my fault, Rin-chan." Shippo smirked as he raised one clawed finger to wag at the little girl. "Just because you can't do something, doesn't mean I am not allowed to do it." The kit's smile was so smug, that is, until a threatening voice came from behind him.

"No. But me telling you that it's dangerous definitely means you're not allowed to do it." Kagome's motherly aura was seeping out of her as a scolding glare fell on the little kit.

"AH, Mama!" Shippo bobbled about as he tried to escape the miko's reaching hands, but he had no hope of getting away as the sneaky onna slid around and blocked his escape route. Picking him up under both arms, the miko hoisted her little kit out of the water.

"Where do you think you're going? It's time to wash your hair." Kagome's smile was haunting as the little kit renewed his efforts to get away. The kid hated having his hair washed. It always made Inuyasha make fun of him and tell him he smelled girly.

"No, Mama, please. I'll behave." Shippo went limp in the miko's embrace as she dragged him over to the edge of the hot spring where there was a natural shelf for him to sit on. Kagome rolled her eyes at the little fox's behavior. She could never understand why he seemed to hate being clean, but it didn't matter to her. No kid of her's was gonna go around smelling like walking Oni den. The kit's adopted mother took her role very seriously after all.

As Kagome began to lather the shampoo into her hands, the miko looked up from her work as she heard the tiny giggles bubbling out of a certain demon's ward. "Rin," Kagome's tone once again held that maternal authority.

Rin's hazel eyes widened and she became a little timid at the authority behind those words. Rin was integrating well with the Inu-taichi, even though she returned every night to sleep by the daiyoukai's side, and it was clear to everyone that she was enjoying traveling with them, especially her new playmate Shippo. However, Kagome could see the hesitation, the uncertainty, that laid deep within those innocent hazel eyes. Kagome assumed that since she never looked that way around Sesshomaru, the little girl's nervousness was a result from being mixed in with so many new people all at once. This led to the child being more reserved and shy than Kagome initially believed the energetic child to be, and the kind miko was determined to wash away the little girl's fears, whatever the may be, and make Rin feel like she was accepted unconditionally into their group.

"Yes, Miko-sama?" The child's voice quivered a little in her uncertainty, and this made the miko's loving heart twinge with pity for the little thing. _What could have ever happened to make her feel so unwanted?_ With her resolve in mind, Kagome made the first step in clearing some of the little girl's doubts.

"First," Kagome's smile for the little girl was kind and gentle, even though she was currently being quite aggressive as she worked on a clump of mud that was clinging to the fur of Shippo's tail. "You don't need to call me Miko-sama. Kagome is fine, or anything else you might like."

The soothing tone of the miko did it's magic as a small, yet hopeful, smile began to bloom like a flower on the little girl's face. "Do you mean I can call you like Shippo-chan does?"

Kagome's hands paused for only a brief second as a slight hesitation entered her mind. Shippo called her 'mama,' and though the thought of having two adorable kids call her mother was not unappealing in the least, Kagome's inner thoughts flashed with the image of a cold and impassive face of a certain youkai who might find the association with her quite unpleasant.

Her concern over the daiyoukai's reaction was overridden quickly though as Kagome saw the first signs of fear begin to creep back into the big, hazel eyes that were still staring at her. It was Kagome's decision to combat all the girl's uncertainties, so she should be the one to handle the consequences—even if that entailed facing off with an angry demon lord.

"I would like that very much, sweetie." Kagome's smile was pure and genuine. "But, we should make sure that Sesshomaru finds that acceptable as well." Kagome finished up with the now silently moping kit, and the miko's smile became mischievous.

"Second." Kagome wagged a thin brow at the little girl who was looking at her with a slight tilt of the head. The abrupt shift in the gentle miko's demeanor had Rin wondering what was going on, and it didn't help that now it was Shippo's turn to giggle.

"Second, if you want to call me Mama, you gotta be prepared for some thorough training." Kagome began to stalk towards the black head that barely made it fully above the water line. "And the training starts now. No kid of mine is gonna smell like a dumpster." Kagome lunged to detain the child who had tried to make an escape once she realized what was coming, but Kagome was an expert kid wrangler. In a matter of moments, she had a squealing and giggling Rin in her arms and was heading over to the same ledge where she had washed Shippo.

This charming scene was watched by two pairs of eyes. One, was the warm and affectionate gaze of the slayer who was very pleased with herself for suggesting they go to the hot spring. Seeing Kagome play with the children, Sango could see the miko's aura settle down as she basked in the role she was born to play—mother and caregiver. Sango held no doubts that Kagome was born to be a mother and matriarch of some big family, it was in the miko's nature to nurture and unify people regardless of their backgrounds or race. Their pack was a clear sign of this because everyone in the group knew that without Kagome they would not be traveling together, even Inuyasha knew Kagome was more of an alpha figure than he was. Where the hanyou did provide protection, Kagome provided so much more. The young, futuristic miko was their sense of belonging, of acceptance, and of home. Sango only hoped that Kagome could make the heartless demon lord feel the same way, and Sango knew that if anyone could do it, it would be Kagome.

The second pair of eyes were not as warm nor remotely affectionate. Gold eyes flashed like steel. Yes, the miko was a mother figure, a decent one, the youkai would admit. Yet what gave the human the right to intrude on his pack by allowing his ward to call her by such a title? Of course the observant inu knew of his ward's affection for the miko, her scent practically flooded with joy and yearning at the sight of the onna, but that did not excuse such audacity from the miko. No, this was something that would need to be confronted. He did not need his ward under any misinterpretation that the miko was pack.

**Let the pup call her so. **Sesshomaru ignored the voice within as he continued to glare down at the group. It appeared the miko was staying behind to soak a little longer as the slayer took the children back to camp.

**Don't ignore us, arrogant pup! Listen to us. **Sesshomaru closed his eyes in exasperation. He had been watching the miko all day and still he was no closer to understanding how to court the onna than he had been yesterday. At the very least, he should listen to what his beast had to say. Damn time it put in some effort to solving the problems it created.

_Proceed._ The beast gruffed at the tone of its logical half, but did as ordered. **If mate becomes close to pup, she becomes closer to us. Miko's maternal instincts will surely affect her and it will give us an excuse to bond with the onna. **

Sesshomaru bristled at the idea of making the onna pack, but the daiyoukai had to get over that unpleasant feeling if it meant he was to mate the miko. _Interesting. _

Sesshomaru considered the implications of such a plan, and he found his logical self once again agreeing with the damn beast. The frequency in which that was occurring as of late was quite concerning for the dog general, and in his distracted state Sesshomaru did something he rarely ever did. He made a mistake.

Shifting his weight to one leg, the limb on which he was standing moved and the rustling leaves caught the attention of a mortified miko.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Kagome screeched as she tried to cover her nude figure from the penetrating gaze of the dog in the tree.

Quickly trying to cover up his mistake and act as if her screeching wasn't grating on his last nerve, Sesshomaru tilted his silver head with an air of self-importance.

"This Sesshomaru is trying to understand you, Miko. You may proceed." Sesshomaru was curious why the little human was so devout to her cleanliness and hygiene rituals. Other humans of this era cared little if they had a bath more than twice a month, but the miko thoroughly cleansed herself almost every night and would even soak in the hot springs beyond the time needed for cleansing. It was curious.

"Understand my ass, you hentai! Who gave you the right to watch me as I bath!" Kagome's aura was flickering around her in magenta flames, but Sesshomaru's next words extinguished her indignant fire, at least a little.

"Is observation not a first step in understanding, Miko. One must understand before he can accept, and to understand I first need to know." Sesshomaru's logic was clear, and actually accurate, and though it didn't excuse his actions, it did answer one question.

"It was you! So that's why you've been watching me all day?" Kagome's face showed the flash of understanding in the depths of her azure gaze as she looked at Sesshomaru with a hint of humor in the tilt of her smile.

"Hn…" Sesshomaru didn't like how the spicy scent of the miko's anger began to interlace with a citrusy smell. The fruity smell complimented the mild bitterness of the green tea and gentle floral of her scent, but what made him so apprehensive was what the scent entailed. The miko somehow found his actions humorous. "What in this Sesshomaru's actions amused you so, Miko?" Sesshomaru's molten gold hardened as the tingling on the back of his neck signaled his irritation. Sesshomaru didn't like to be played for a fool.

The inu's disgruntled expression had the miko bursting out into a fit of giggles, and when his eyes narrowed even more and his lips pulled back, Kagome began to laugh even harder as she hid herself within the steamy water.

Sesshomaru's patience was up, and he jumped elegantly down to stand right before the miko at the edge of the spring. "Why do you laugh?" The big inu snarled at the little onna.

Sesshomaru's sudden appearance so close to her naked form served to sober up the amused miko rather quickly. Eyes widened as she hugged herself tighter, making sure there was nothing peaking through for the pervert to see.

"I laugh, Sesshomaru," Kagome let escape on last giggle before her eyes softened just a tad. "Because if you wish to get to know me, there is a much easier solution." Yes, the miko was annoyed the stubborn daiyoukai had stalked her to her bath, but she had to remember that demons had a different sense of decency than humans. Hell, he probably thought nothing of her naked body anyways. The big lug was just trying to approach the spell in the only way he knew how, logically.

"Oh, and what pray tell is this easier solution, Miko?" Sesshomaru's voice was hard and cold. He didn't like feeling belittled by the punny creature and he was going to make his displeasure known—like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Ehem," The miko coughed like a lecturer before a lesson. "To get to know me, or anyone else for that matter, you should first try talking to them. Observations are useful to an extent to understand someone, but in the end they are just that, observations. To understand would imply a deeper level of knowledge into the person you were observing, and you can never know what someone is thinking just through observation alone anyways." The miko finished with a nod of her dampened locks, and Sesshomaru was loathed to admit her words were, again, perfectly logical. Her intuitive sense of analytical ability seemed to have not been a mere one time thing with her assessment of Naraku's spell, not that he would tell her that.

"Hn." The demon lord hummed as he continued to look down his nose at the miko. He would have to consider the possibility that some time with the miko would indeed be necessary to _understand_ her, a challenge he was reluctant to face with such a strange creature.

"Anyways," Kagome began again with an irritated hmph, her annoyance making itself known. "Getting to know someone doesn't need to be done without clothes, Sesshomaru. We can get to know each other at a later time. So for now, leave." Kagome hissed the last word. All she wanted was to soak for a little bit, was that too much to ask?

Sesshomaru curled his lip at the order, but instead of letting his anger leak out, the daiyoukai tried a different approach. He had noticed over the last two days that a certain monk and his odd taste in jest had a rather peculiar affect on the miko…

"Sometimes, the easiest way to understand one another is done without clothes, Miko." Sesshomaru's purr was but a taunt, but the result was quite amusing to the centuries old youkai. Gold eyes grazed her form as heat rushed to her flushing cheeks and down her neck to her tightly wrapped breasts. The way she held herself had the opposite effect to what the naive miko was intending as it pushed her womanly mounds together, leaving their summits and the deep cavern between them completely visible.

As his eyes slid over those same slopes one last time, he saw the miko's bottom hand releasing her hold over her chest and he could only hazard a guess as to why. Right before the deafening scream of 'hentai' was hurled into the air and a wave of scolding water sent his way, Sesshomaru leaped back into the trees, but not before he caught a glimpse of the miko's partially uncovered breasts with their dusty rose peaks.

* * *

The sun had set by the time Kagome returned to the campsite and her obvious annoyance was apparent to everyone, but the only one who knew why was also the only one who didn't care. Really, the big dog demon had no idea why the onna was so riled by being seen. Her usual attire practically displayed her body on a daily basis.

It's not like Sesshomaru was watching because he _wanted_ to see the miko naked. Please, he had standards. Sesshomaru had seen plenty naked demonness and their body's which bore no imperfections over the centuries.

Although, Sesshomaru's closed eyes twitched as the pale image of the miko washing his ward's hair flashed behind his eyes. No demonness he had ever seen could display such gentleness to one that was not their own, and the miko had done so for not one but two young ones. Not only that, the creature exuded a calm and soothing demeanor while simultaneously being marred with a number of small scars telling of the battles of her past. _How could a creature remain so naive to the ways of the world when having faced its cruelties so often?_ Sesshomaru didn't understand.

As his thoughts on the miko lingered, a primal part of him did notice, though marred, her skin was still supple as it glistened in the setting sun's rays. Her fragile frame was hosting more womanly curves than Sesshomaru had previously surmised. The daiyoukai had offhandedly noticed such when her chest had been practically heaving in indignation upon the discovery of his presences. Upon this revelation, his beast thought it appropriate to show him some more tantalizing images of the same naked miko in various…positions.

_Behave! _Sesshomaru snarled as golden eyes snapped open. His beast merely chuckled at its logical half's reaction before immediately shifting its attention to where the miko was glaring at them from across the camp.

"What's wrong Lady Kagome?" The ever observant Miroku had noticed the miko's tension, but unlike the rest he had also noticed the demon lord's timely departure right after the females had left camp. The monk didn't know what had happened, but Kagome glaring at the inu confirmed his suspicion that the impassive youkai had done something to ignite the ire of their dear miko. Miroku smirked at what deed the inu could have possibly done. Considering the incident had occurred at or around the time of Kagome bathing, the monk wondered if he wasn't the only pervert in the group's midst.

Kagome's eyes instantly widened and a smile smoothed out her snarl curled lips. "Nothing. I am perfectly fine, but thanks for asking Miroku." The miko's cheery voice was convincing for everyone except her conversation partner and the daiyoukai who was watching their interaction with interest. The youkai could easily smell her unease, anger, and deceit, but the monk would have been fooled if it hadn't been for his earlier observations. Deciding it was best not to have her ire directed at himself, Miroku thought the issue was better left dropped.

"Woman, how did you waste so much time taking a damn bath. You need to cook dinner!" Inuyasha burst through the tree line carrying a couple of dead rabbits over his shoulder.

The blunt request by the oblivious inu called upon Kagome's temper as eyes of blue fire glared at him. "Inuyasha. I am not your maid!" The little miko screamed and the hanyou's ears immediately flattened. He had apparently stepped on a landmine, but Inuyasha never knew when to back down until it was too late.

"Keh, who said you were. I just meant it's time you did some work around here and cooking is one of the few things you're good at!" Inuyasha tossed the game down near the fire Sango and Miroku had built, and he was oblivious to the angry glares being shot his way and one regally arched brow.

"Do some work?" The miko's tone became scarily calm and the human pup and kit both hid behind the slayer's legs. Even the hanyou knew he had gone too far and tried to do some recovery.

"Wait, Kagome. That's not what I meant, really, please don't do it." Inuyasha held his head as he felt the inevitable approaching, but as Kagome opened her mouth to deliver the well deserved command a crash sounded through the clearing. The Inu-taichi looked up in time to see a raving boar demon trampling through the terrain and into their camp.

"Give me the jewel shards!" The beast shouted through a mix of grunted slurs and squeals. The element of surprise was on the approaching demon's side, and so was his massive size, as the mountain of flesh came upon Inuyasha and threw him to the side with one swat of its heavy tusks. A giant ugly face then began to look around the group to see who had the shards. Luckily for the Inu-taichi, boars were both dim and had bad eyesight, and this bought them some time.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked as her friends prepared for battle. Her eyes immediately went over to the children who still stood behind Sango, and the two women noticed at the same dreadful moment that both their weapons were on the opposite side of camp. Kagome didn't think twice before running towards the children and the slayer, at the very least she could guard the children with her barrier. However, her sudden movement caught the attention of the slobbering monster.

"You, onna! Give me the shards of the Shikon Jewel!" Heavy hooves began to pound the ground as the beast made its way to the defenseless miko. Miroku had been beaten to the side in the same fashion as Inuyasha when he tried to block the boar's path, and with Inuyasha out for the count and Sango weaponless, Kagome's brain froze in panic. She was alone, or, so she thought.

"Fox fire!" Little Shippo raced out from behind the slayer to defend his adopted mother. A burst of blue flame covered the squealing maw of the beast for a brief second. "Don't hurt my Mama!" The kit screamed.

Those words were all Kagome heard as she saw the raging beast's sickly yellow eyes leave her and fix on her kit. The disgusting thing again began to run, but to the miko's dismay it was no longer at her.

Glittering emeralds saw the demon change paths, and his inexperienced heart tightened in fear and his tiny body froze. Kagome felt every fiber of her being screaming for her to move, to act, but the fear in her veins strangely made her mind's processing speed increase. The miko knew she couldn't make it to Shippo's side in time to save him and that if she released her reiki recklessly her mediocre control could end up purifying her kit. There was nothing she could do but watch in horror.

Just as the demon lifted it's boulder of a hoof off the ground to stomp down on the little fox demon and Kagome fell to her knees in despair, a figure in white stood before the kit.

With a regal flick of his sleeve back over his alabaster skin, the cold sneer the Inu-taichi all knew too well made an appearance. "Pathetic." The disgust was evident as the daiyoukai's clawed hand began to glow green and lethal poison snaked out of his fingers to form a whip. Within seconds the boar had fallen, and the group was silent.

* * *

"Sesshomaru, are you sure you wouldn't like to move in a little closer." Kagome was trying to play nice again as she leaned over to invite the lonesome figure of the demon lord to come sit with them.

Once the boar's remains had been purified, a teary Kagome thanked the daiyoukai while holding her trembling kit in her arms. Sesshomaru had graced her with a simple nod and "hn," which was more than she had expected, before taking his ward and returning back to his customary spot along the edge of camp and against a tree.

Eventually, everyone had followed suit and settled back down after the incident. Miroku and Inuyasha's wounds had been dealt with, and now Kagome wanted to try thanking the demon lord with more than words. She didn't know how exactly, considering the demon wanted for nothing (except to be rid of her and the curse). So the little miko didn't know how to express her gratitude and ended up reverting to her norm, being nice. She thought it was warranted, especially since she seemed to have embarrassed the daiyoukai after laughing at him at the hot springs—though he embarrassed her first so he still deserved it in her book.

A pale, magenta lined lid rose briefly to peer at the smiling face of the irksome onna, and he had a sense of de ja vu back to when the miko had acted in such a manner when under the vermin's love spell. Wishing to not repeat the experience, the youkai closed his eyes and returned to enjoying a small reprieve.

"This Sesshomaru is comfortable where he is." Understanding that was her cue to leave, Kagome turned to return to her friends when a searing pain filled her chest. Crumpling to the ground, the miko gripped at her heart at the same time an annoyed youkai's lips curled back in a silent show of pain.

_Not this again. _Tears flooded Kagome's eyes and her whimpering became apparent to her friends as they rushed over to her side.

"You bastard! What did you do to Kagome?" Inuyasha reached for Tessaiga before he was stopped by the panting Miko.

"Not. His. fault." Kagome's nails dug into the earth as she tried to straighten her spine and look her friends in the eyes to relate to them the honesty behind her words, but her body wasn't cooperating. Instead of straightening out, her petite frame began to curl in on herself as her chest tried to tear her apart from the inside out.

"Well if it ain't that bastards doing, what the hell is going on?" Inuyasha sheathed his mighty swords as the group looked down at the suffering miko with lost expressions.

"Lady Kagome, could this possibly be a side-effect of the spell?" As the group discussed the monk's words, Sesshomaru's mind zeroed in on the miko's writhing body. If this was a side-effect of the spell, it could only mean one thing.

A strong arm reached out through his own pain to wrap around the miko's slim waist. The Inu-taichi watched in shock as the human-hating inu voluntarily drew the miko to his chest. In utter disbelief, the group was completely dumbfounded when their innocent miko not only didn't reject the stone-cold demon's embrace, but curled into him. Delicate arms wrapped around the daiyoukai as the miko buried her face into his chest, and only then was she able to finally breath easy.

"What the hell!" Inuyasha was blabbering, but Miroku put a hand on his shoulder.

"Remember, Inuyasha. One of the potential side-effects was the need for physical touch." Miroku looked on in wonder at the pair that were partaking in what could only be called an embrace. The inu's muscular arm was flexed around the miko's back and waist as he held her almost desperately to him. Their dear friend also held onto the youkai lord like a life line, and it was clear that, at the moment, Kagome had yet to realize what situation she was in.

The monk, as an ever courteous male, decided it would be less embarrassing for the young women if all her friends weren't standing around gawking when she came to. Leading a purple hanyou and a blushing slayer away by their shoulders, Miroku told the children they would be sleeping on the other side of camp for the night and to come along. Miroku knew the stubborn pair needed to be left alone every once in a while if they were ever going to solve that spell.

* * *

Blue eyes opened once the sensation of being torn asunder had vanished completely, as if the pain had never existed in the first place. Taking a few calming breaths, Kagome tried to collect herself and remember what had happened. She had been trying to be nice to Sesshomaru, which had ended poorly, and when she turned to leave the pain started. It had been awful, far worse than the Love Fulfillment spell's pain when her and Sesshomaru had been separated. This had been like the world was ending and it was starting with her.

A tremble of fear descended the miko's spine at the memory and she involuntarily gripped on to something as soft as silk. Wait, it was silk. But why would she be laying on silk? The only silk to be found around their camp belonged to a certain deadly youkai. Kagome stiffened upon the realization that she was laying on top of something that was dangerously close to a human from. A very big and very strong male form…

"Relax, Miko. This one does not bite." Golden eyes peered down at the tense onna laying on top of him. He had come back to his senses long before the miko, but her human body on top of him hadn't disgust him as much as he had thought it would. Deciding he should be payed back for his patience with the situation, the inu youkai showed a rare sign of playfulness. "Unless you desire for this one to do so."

Kagome's head shot up and her blushing cheeks came face to face with a slightly smirking demon lord. "You actually told a joke." The miko's eyes were wide with disbelief and her words were airy. "I didn't think you could tell jokes." Kagome released a bubble of a laugh as the prickly prince raised a regal brow at her response.

"This one is capable of anything, Miko." The smirk was gone and the cold, impassive mask was back in place, but his response was too serious for the little miko as she burst out in a fit of giggles for the second time that day. Black waves of silk shook with the force of her laughter and the daiyoukai was very concerned that he had broken the small creature.

"Are you ill, Miko?" A roar of laughter was his response as Kagome lost all control. Tears spilled from her sparkling eyes as her hands unlatched from around the daiyoukai to cross her stomach and hold her aching sides. The miko even seemed to forget her earlier discomfort as her head bowed and rested on his shoulder—the one without an arm.

"Ah, stop, please. You're killing me." Sesshomaru was going to point out that he was doing no such thing and such an accusation was absurd, but an unpleasant feeling twisted in his gut and halted his words. Kagome had leaned back so she could steady her breathing after her outburst and her hand had unconsciously gripped Sesshomaru's empty left sleeve while looking for support.

Sesshomaru's flinch was nearly imperceptible, but Kagome was still partially leaning on the daiyoukai due to the spell's earlier insistence so she could feel the muscles of his thick thighs and tight core constrict with tension, and his face distorted into a silent snarl—Sesshomaru had struggled desperately to contain his anger at the miko's unintended slight against his person, not wanting to waste all the progress he had painstakingly made that day.

Saddened pools of deep blue glanced up at his icy glare. Kagome knew the mask had returned because she made Sesshomaru uncomfortable. The lose of a limb was a sensitive subject for anyone. Kagome could imagine the personal nature of such a subject, so she could only guess to how delicate a topic it would be for someone as prideful as Sesshomaru. She should remove her hand. She should pretend like nothing of any significance had just happened. She should have just let it go, but Kagome could not ignore a soul in pain.

"It's my fault." Kagome confessed, even though she had no clue why that was how she chose to start the conversation. Of course her little mortal self wasn't the one who had physically carved off the big inu's left limb, but she had given her dear hanyou the tool to do so. "May I?" Kagome's question was hesitant as she motioned to the billowing white, and empty, sleeve of the demon lord, and she was met with a cautious gaze.

Sesshomaru never let anyone look upon his severed limb. It was his greatest source of shame and his reminder of the biggest failure of his life, his only failure. Part of him wanted to snarl and snap at the brazen miko who sat next to him, partially on him, as her mournful eyes swam with unshed tears, but the other part of him wanted to know why. Why did she think it was her fault? The whelp had done it and it was in order to protect the miko from his very own self. How could she possibly be held responsible? Sesshomaru couldn't understand the miko before him, so he simply gave a slight nod of his head with his typical "Hn."

Kagome nodded slowly in surprise at being allowed to proceed. She had been prepared for complete and justifiable rejection. Steeling her nerves, delicate hands slid to the bottom of the sleeve where Kagome gently began to fold the thick and expensive silk all the way up to the daiyoukai's shoulder. A small gasp could be heard as the miko looked upon the disfigured stump of an arm and Sesshomaru's gaze hardened even further.

Kagome had been secretly blaming herself for the loss of Sesshomaru's arm for the past three years—even when she hated him it had weighted heavily on her conscious. Now, seeing the strong youkai's guarded gaze, Kagome couldn't help but let a few tears fall for the pain and suffering she had caused Sesshomaru.

_She cries. _ Sesshomaru didn't understand. No, he couldn't understand. The miko had no reason to cry over his injuries. No reason to blame herself for the harm that came at the expense of his own actions. It didn't make sense to him, so he had to ask.

"Why do you blame yourself for this one's injury." Sesshomaru's lip twitched at acknowledging his _injured _state. He hated having to acknowledge that he was anything less than perfect, and the only thing he hated more was acknowledging that his whelp of a half-brother was the one responsible.

"Where I am from, I could be found just as guilty as Inuyasha. I'm what they would call an accomplice as I gave Inuyasha the means to harm you." Kagome's voice trailed off as she was preoccupied with what she was doing. Thin fingers were ghosting around the end of what was left of Sesshomaru's arm, trying to see if there was any hope for a medical solution, like a transplant or something.

Sesshomaru didn't like the miko's traveling fingers being so close to him in such an intimate way, it made him feel…vulnerable, and that was not something the daiyoukai was comfortable feeling. As a feather light touch grazed his scar, Sesshomaru released a low growl. It was a warning.

The miko stopped her examination and looked up quickly. Noticing Sesshomaru's glare directed at her hovering fingers, Kagome quickly retracted them as she let the sleeve flow like a white waterfall back to the ground, only to end in a bloody red pool.

Inside, Kagome was agonizing over the past and what had been done. Yes, it was for self defense, and he had tried to KILL her, but that was years ago. Since then, Sesshomaru had not only saved her on occasion, he was now an ally against Naraku—a strong and valuable ally. Today, he even saved Shippo! _Hasn't he paid enough for his past sins?_

Fierce blue fire of determination melted into Sesshomaru's steely gaze as the miko looked the intimidating youkai right in the eye. Sesshomaru was so taken back by her shift in demeanor that his mask fell for a split second and his golden gaze widened into one of open wonder. _What could she be planning? _

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome's posture was rigid as she looked at the youkai. What she was about to do was not only reckless but also a little risky. She had only read a few scrolls on the matter that she had received from another traveling miko while on their journey, so it was highly probable her basic knowledge paired with her lack of proper reiki control would lead to failure. But Kagome had to try.

Sesshomaru answered her with an arched brow, a signal to proceed as she was coming to understand. With a deep breath, Kagome squared her shoulders. "Would you allow me to try something that might make your situation a little more, um, manageable?" Kagome's voice faltered at the end. She wasn't sure what she would be able to accomplish, but she should be able to make _something_ happen.

Sesshomaru's arched brow quickly descended to hood his gaze with obvious suspicion and wariness. Kagome was expecting that, but it still hurt to see. The miko raised her hands in an unoffensive manner as she answered what she assumed was the root of his distrust in her intentions.

"I have no hidden agenda, Sesshomaru. I really just can't stand the sight of you bearing an injury when I believe myself to be the cause. Especially knowing I haven't done anything to lessen the burden. In that way, wanting to help you is my own selfish desire." Kagome's voice had lost its hard edge after Sesshomaru's distrusting gaze, but her resolve was still clear. If he would allow her to do so, Kagome was prepared to do all that she could to remove the pain that hid behind the youkai's guarded eyes.

Sesshomaru was beyond curious as to what the little miko thought could "lessen his burden" or make his situation more "manageable." This curiosity, along with the howling of his beast to cooperate, is what led the usually cautious inu to relinquish control over his left limb to the miko.

A small, gentle smile seemed to thank him for his trust before the miko began to once again fold back his haori sleeve. When the fabric was resting on his shoulder and not in danger of falling down, the little onna forgot all sense of hesitancy as sure and nimble fingers traced and trailed the skin of his distorted left limb. The movement was soft, almost like a caress, but the way in which the miko molded her fingers to his skin and traced the bones of his arm made for a more methodical process.

Gold, unsure eyes never left the little miko's face as she molested his person. Those eyes shone with her desire to help, to save, and for the first time the daiyoukai realized why many thought her beautiful. The pale moonlit sky offered little light, but his demonic sense of sight could still see her perfectly. Black ink fell like elegant brush strokes along her neck, shoulders, and back, and the dark pitch of her hair contrasted beautifully with her supple skin— a skin not marked by disease like the other humans of this time. Well, she did have few injuries here and there, as he noticed during her bath, but these were not scars from some mere farm accident. No, those were battle scars that spoke to her nature as a holy warrior. A trait that slightly contradicted her soft, feminine frame and abundance of womanly curves. If only he could run his hands over…

Sesshomaru's distracted thoughts were suddenly thrust aside as he felt the intrusive burn of the miko's reiki. Golden eyes locked on the miko's face again, but her eyes were screwed shut as both her hands gripped what remained of his left arm. She had a firm grip on his person with one hand just under the shoulder blade and the other cupping around the stump's end. It took a great deal of effort not to let his own youki rise to battle with the foreign energy, but Sesshomaru managed. Magenta light was pouring out of Kagome's hands and bathing them both in a pinkish-hue as the remainder of her power seeped into his skin like the parched earth takes in the long-awaited rain after a drought.

A searing sensation was coursing through his veins and a small part of the demon lord thought the miko would betray him and try and purify him, but his beast and the larger part of him knew that wasn't in the honest miko's nature.

Something was happening. As the heat beneath his skin began to pulse in time with the reiki the miko was releasing, Sesshomaru felt something within him shift. Like molten rock stirring slowly within a volcano, a fiery source of power erupted within him. Sesshomaru gasped at the force behind the energy rushing through him, around him, and within him. It was like the volcano had erupted and its lava was now commencing its burning path into the open world, but the lava was the newly formed flesh and bone of his perfectly restored limb. Incredulous golden eyes looked on as the sensation of molten rock becoming solid settled over his finished appendage.

The night was silent as reiki receded and golden eyes finally detached from his left arm to look at the miko. Magnificent crystals of the rarest blue met his questioning gaze with brimming tears of triumph, relief, and utter joy at being able to help him. A breathtaking smile split the miko's pretty pink lips as she expressed the magnitude of her celebratory feelings with the most beautifully innocent smile the youkai had ever seen, and it was a smile for him.

Sesshomaru for once had no words. No witty comeback. No cynical critique. He actually felt gratitude towards the little human onna. Not only that, Sesshomaru found himself reeling with the knowledge of how formidable her reiki truly was. If she could restore his limb, a feat none of the best healers or dark priestesses in the Western Lands could accomplish, he would wager there was very little the miko _couldn't_ do. Just that knowledge left a deep part of the demon lord yearning. Power. Power was something all youkai desired to possess.

**When she is our mate, her power will also be part of us. **Sesshomaru couldn't argue with his beast there. A power such as the miko's hadn't been seen in reiki users in centuries, not since Midoriko, if she were to be his…

Again, Sesshomaru's pondering was cut short. After Kagome had finalized the healing incantation, she had one clear moment of euphoria. Not only was she happy that she could help Sesshomaru, but she was beyond proud of herself for being able to complete the incantation. This must have meant her control over her reiki was improving! With that thought, the exhausted miko's eyes slid shut and she collapsed into the arms of a very confused Sesshomaru.

"With this, let's start things over, ne? Sesshomaru." Those parting words fell like a sigh from the miko's lips as she succumbed to unconsciousness, and Sesshomaru had this nagging sense that the miko was going to make him question more than just his beliefs about humans. She was going to challenge how the cold-hearted youkai viewed his entire world.

* * *

**AN:** Hallelujah, Sesshomaru is finally showing some improvement! Right? A little bit, at least, but hey, he started at ground zero (he probably wasn't even in the building, let's be honest.) I hope this chapter has satisfied all those SessXKag fans as the relationship is officially starting to develop, but I appreciate your patience for making it this far.

I wanted to thank everyone that has taken the time to leave a review for this story. Your compliments, critiques, and suggestions have all been very much appreciated. I have yet to read a comment that makes me sad, and I think as a writer that is the best compliment there is out there (THIS IS NOT A CHALLENGE TO LEAVE SOME FLAMES IN THE COMMENTS). I accept all genuine forms of criticism and critique, but flames are unwelcome and will be ignored.

Anyways, thanks again for the comments and reviews because they truly do motivate me to get these stories out much faster than I originally intend! If any of you have time, I would really appreciate the reviews. I love hearing you guy's input and they usually give me ideas on how to advance the story. Plus, as an Inuyasha fanfic virgin (yes this really was my first Inuyasha fan fiction as a couple of you asked in your reviews) I value you Inuyasha fanfic-Senpai's and your input to the character writing and plot.

I will be getting the next chapter out ASAP, but some work has come up that needs my attention. Therefore, don't be expecting the next release tomorrow or anything. I hope to see everyone again next time!


	7. The Love Spell: Chapter 7

**My poor, inadequate self does not hold any rights to Inuyasha. If I did, Rin would have gotten to play with Shippo more. **

* * *

"No!" The enraged scream echoed through the dark hall's of the abandoned estate. Blood red eyes fixated on the void child's mirror as the impossible was revealed to Naraku. There, before his very eyes, laid the miko on top of the deadly demon lord in what could only be considered an embrace. Not only that, the damn girl had given his most dangerous opponent back his left arm. The daiyoukai was enough to handle with one arm, let alone two!

Naraku gnashed his teeth together in his rage as his fist surged forward to punch the dilapidated wall of his previous residence and reduced it to rubble. The hanyou's miasma had been too potent for the old estate and now their group had no other choice but to leave. To avoid a run in with the troublesome bunch, Naraku had ordered Kanna to reveal to him the Inu-taichi's whereabouts. However, by chance, a very dangerous change in events was made known.

Naraku had wasted valuable energy in finding a dark priestess powerful enough to conjure a Love Fulfillment spell for Inuyasha and Kikyo. The hope being that when Inuyasha inevitably abandoned the misfit pack of his in his infatuated state for the dead priestess, Naraku could finally eliminate the pesky nuisance their group presented.

Instead, the devious hanyou made a quick change in plans and cast the spell on the other miko demon pair in order to cause a diversion and make his escape, but the spell would still serve its purpose, of that Naraku was sure. For as long as the Inu-taichi were preoccupied with the spell and its affects, they wouldn't be looking for the last jewel shard. The infamous jewel fragment that still evaded Naraku's grasp. No matter where the spider looked (more like sent his goons to look for him), the shard was nowhere to be found, and now, now Naraku came to find that the bastardly bunch was not only still looking for the shard but they had found some way to reverse the Love Fulfillment spell.

_No. This is all wrong! _Naraku's inner snarling was interrupted by a very annoying voice of mock surprise.

"Well, well." Kagura started as she sat on a crumbling window sill waiting for the order to depart. "Isn't that an unexpected turn of events." The wind demoness' voice was taunting as she lazily played with one of her white feathers. Kagura never could help kicking Naraku when he was down. It was such a rare occurrence and as long as the bastard held her heart in his hands the wind witch vowed to make him as miserable as possible, or at least make her presence as annoying as possible. That was something she was very good at.

A slimy tentacle darted out to wrap around the disobedient incarnation's throat and pull her across the room until she hung in the air right before Naraku's face.

"Bitch, you will learn to hold your tongue or I will place it in my pocket along with your worthless heart." The hanyou spit out his words like venom and Kagura flinched back at the threat. There was no doubt the monster meant it.

Seeing his message was made, Naraku dropped the woman's body unceremoniously to the ground. "Well," The gravelly voice of the fake demon returned to his usual state of cold, calculated composure. "Let's see if we can make this _unexpected_ turn of events work in our favor, shall we." A wicked smile slithered across the spider hanyou's face as a merciless glint flashed within his crimson gaze. Oh yes, Naraku would make this all work out in his favor. That was what he was good at after all.

* * *

Sesshomaru was momentarily stunned as the weary onna fell into his arms. Yes, arms. It took the slightly dazed demon a moment to realize his left arm was truly substantial as it held the weight of the young miko from falling to the ground. The miko had actually returned his left arm back to him, but Sesshomaru couldn't fathom the miko's motives for extending such effort on his behalf. It made no sense to the calculating youkai for the human to do something so selfless. She gained nothing from his arm being healed, yet Sesshomaru regained everything—his pride, his honor, his lost strength.

"With this, let's start things over, ne? Sesshomaru." The miko sighed before succumbing completely to unconsciousness, yet her words only served to confuse the inu further. Start things over? What things? How so? The miko couldn't possibly expect they could erase their past history and start anew. No one could be so foolish.

**Do as she says. **His beast was oddly subdued as it waited for Sesshomaru's thoughts and feelings to settle after getting his arm back. Instead of its usual demanding barking and incessant pacing, the beast just sat at attention. Watching his logical half process everything that had just happened.

_What do you mean? _Sesshomaru's own voice was slightly out of character as he looked down at the sleeping onna sprawled halfway across his lap. A small smile gracing her pink lips. Why was she smiling? The incantation had obviously drained her of all her energy, yet she still had it in her to smile? Sesshomaru's thoughts were a mess as he tried to understand the miko. What was she after? Was healing him a way to get into his good graces so she could betray him later…

No, golden eyes roamed over the peaceful face of the sleeping onna as the claw tipped fingers of his left hand reached over to brush a stray lock of ebony away from the miko's face. No matter what Sesshomaru believed about humans in the past, and still did, the dog general was of an analytical mind that could not ignore the facts. Everything Sesshomaru had seen in regard to the miko was a walking contradiction to his preconceived notions about humans.

The miko wasn't a coward. She charged head first into battles that she was grossly ill-prepared for in order to protect her pack mates. The onna would even sacrifice herself habitually if it meant that someone she loved would be safe. Sesshomaru had witnessed such an occurrence on multiple occasions. Though he could not understand as to why the miko did such foolish things, he would admit that it showed a great deal of loyalty and strength. Not to mention her holy miko was weak in flesh, maybe, but her soul held a light that could possibly even extinguish his darkness if Sesshomaru wasn't careful. The source of power that dwelled deep inside the petite frame of the miko called to Sesshomaru. A power like he had never known. An opponent that could actually present a challenge.

A dangerous smile began to spread across the demon lord's face. If you want to call it a smile, it was more a barring of teeth. Yes, if the miko held enough power to restore his arm, even Sesshomaru would have to concede she wasn't weak like the rest of her race. No, before him was a powerful and rare creature the like of which this world had never seen.

An irresistible urge to possess such a unique power surged through the daiyoukai as he continued to look down at the onna. Her black mass of hair was fanned out around her upper half as her head rested on the thick muscle of the youkai's thighs. Her position was awkward and looked incredibly uncomfortable for the little miko, and before his beast could even suggest it Sesshomaru pulled the miko up to rest completely on his reclining form with her face pillowed against his Mokomoko-sama.

Sesshomaru's beast purred low in approval and used their bit of shared youki that inhabited the Mokomoko to trail the tail over the miko's sleeping form like a fluffy blanket. Sesshomaru would have growled at his beast taking such liberties, but as the miko nuzzled her face into warmth of his pelt, Sesshomaru felt a comforting aura settle over him. Whether it was the spell's latent affects, the overwhelming stimulation of having his arm returned to him, or the calming scent of the miko invading his nose, the inu lord felt his body relax and his eyes drift shut. Just as sleep was about to claim him, his beast finally answered his earlier question.

**Start over. Make peace. Earn Mate.**

* * *

As the morning light began to filter through the trees, a sleepy miko began to stir. Kagome didn't know why, but her body felt like it weighed 10 tons and all she wanted to do was sleep. In her determination to do just that, the young onna nestled herself deeper into the depths of her bed. Searching fingers began to comb through her fuzzy blankets as she wrapped them around her body as tightly as she could.

Kagome wanted to become a cocoon, and after a few days of rest she would revive as a beautiful miko butterfly. She was already changing, Kagome could feel it. The warmth that surrounded her caressed her skin like the softest material known to man and her body practically hummed in contentment. She was so satisfied with her current position that an involuntary moan slipped past Kagome's lips—a sound that came as a surprise to her 'bed.'

* * *

Sesshomaru had awoken only a few moments before the miko began her fidgeting. The inu had originally planned to dislodge himself from the miko's vice like grip before she realized the rather intimate position they were in (he didn't particularly care for his sensitive ears to be pierced by her shrieks so early in the morning), but before he could do so the miko started making a little nest on top of him.

Black tresses rubbed against the demon's chin as the miko buried her face in the crook of his neck, her soft nose and lips ghosting over his skin. If that wasn't enough of an invasion of his personal space, the brazen little thing even had the audacity to starts groping his Mokomoko as she wrapped the length of fur around herself. Delicate fingers pet his pelt incessantly and Sesshomaru struggled to not release a throaty rumble of pleasure. Of course, the miko had no idea what her ministrations were doing to him, but Sesshomaru was still annoyed by the liberties she was taking.

The miko had done him a service in returning his arm, so the honor-bound inu couldn't simply let the miko sleep on the cold, hard ground. That was the only reason he had allowed the miko to lay on his person. There was no other reason. Sesshomaru hated being in people's debt and a small part of him wondered if he would ever be able to pay back the miko for what she had done—a small part of him got very annoyed at the notion of being eternally in the human onna's debt.

His beast, however, was thoroughly enjoying the sensation of the miko's fingers intertwined in their pelt. Since Sesshomaru's Mokomoko-sama was a part of his instinctual half, the beast had a minuscule amount of control over the fur and he used that to his advantage. Taking the end of the tail that was not being held by the miko, the beast channeled their youki through the pelt to make the opposite end begin its own form of 'petting.'

Warm fur traveled along the expanse of the miko's form, caressing its way down to snake in between the miko's legs. The naughty beast even dared to wonder upwards as it used the pelt to grope the supple flesh of the miko's inner thighs.

Before Sesshomaru could release a threatening snarl to warn his beast to behave, they both paused as a sultry moan escaped the miko's lips. Red crept into gold at the inviting sound and the clawed hand that held the miko's waist to keep her from falling twitched.

Knowing things were progressing in a way that Sesshomaru didn't care for, the inu regained his reason as he pulled the other end of his pelt away from the miko's core. Ignoring the soft whimper of the miko due to the loss of warmth, Sesshomaru strained his senses to calm himself. He, the demon feared throughout all Japan, was not getting aroused by a tiny human onna.

"Miko." Sesshomaru's usually impassive voice held a hint of an edge as he waited for the onna to wake. He didn't care if she screamed anymore, as long as she got the hell off of him. "Miko, it is time to wake." Sesshomaru tried again as he used his left hand to shake the small creature by her shoulder.

Kagome groaned and tried to ignore the call of reality by plastering herself even closer to the large inu. When one of her legs came up to hook around his hip, that was when the demon lost his patience.

"Miko." The word was a bark and an order all in one. Two strong arms hoisted the miko off of his person like a parent lifts a child and dazed blue orbs opened to meet shimmering red rubies.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome drawled. She had no idea why she was being held in the air like some rag doll or why the demon lord looked so obviously annoyed, but the young miko had an inkling it had been her fault. She knew she had terrible sleeping habits and from the fact that she had just woken up and the inu was already aggravated at her, it wasn't hard to deduce what happened.

"Um, Sesshomaru? I'm sorry if I did something to upset you, but could you maybe, uh, set me down?" Kagome watched as the impassive mask slowly descended on Sesshomaru's facial features and red faded into gold before the inu promptly set her down on her knees by his side. A wary gaze settled on her, but Kagome paid it little attention. In fact, all of her attention was on the demon's body, more specifically, his left arm.

"It worked. Oh Kamis, Sesshomaru it really worked." Kagome reached forward in a show of complete abandon as she ran her hand along the left arm of the powerful youkai. Sesshomaru wanted to bark at her again for her bold behavior, but when her ecstatic smile looked up to meet him, the inu decided he could allow her such liberties this one time—she was the one who returned his arm after all.

"Yes, Miko. You did well." The words were spoken earnestly, and as the ice prince rarely ever complimented others Sesshomaru waited for the onna's sassy retort. Instead, when the retort never came, Sesshomaru's golden gaze slid over to see a profusely blushing miko as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Ah, no. It was nothing really, don't mention it." The heat in her face made the miko look like she was flush with fever, and a sly smirk pulled at the corner of the inu's lips. Maybe he could get some revenge for the miko's unconscious molestation of his person.

"Your face is red, Miko. Are you ill?" Sesshomaru turned to face the blushing onna and was fascinated to find the miko's blush could go even darker. Seeing how far his taunt could go, Sesshomaru reached forward and placed a calloused palm over the miko's forehead.

Big blue eyes widened in surprise at the gesture, and the confused miko began to sputter in her embarrassment. "No. I'm not sick, uh, I'm going to make breakfast." Kagome shot up from her kneeling position and ran towards the other side of camp where the others of her pack were beginning to wake. Score 1 for the demon lord, and 0 for the miko.

A fanged smirk flashed across the youkai's face before disappearing a second later. Well, if he was going to be stuck in this situation, the big, doggy general might as well enjoy himself.

* * *

Kagome's eyes were wide and her cheeks still flushed as she poked and prodded at the fire. What was she thinking? People, youkai and human alike, who are stupid enough to even approach Sesshomaru find themselves dead more often than not and she had practically groped his arm!

The fire once again blazed to life in the young onna's cheeks. She had just been so excited, for him and herself, that his arm had been restored. Yeah, she just wanted to make sure there was no problems with his new appendage. It wasn't like she was attracted to the strong muscles that laid underneath the demon's porcelain skin, nor was she attracted to the graceful markings adorning his wrists to signify his heritage. Nope, not at all. His body was nothing of interest to her. His body…

Shaking her head fiercely, Kagome went back to preparing breakfast. What was wrong with her? She had one civil conversation with the deadly demon lord and he tosses a few jokes around and all the sudden Kagome is swooning at his feet? No way. The futuristic miko was no fool. Falling for a beast like Sesshomaru was a dead end, literally. If he even suspected she found his form pleasing, the human-hating demon would insist her eyes be gouged out so she could never disgrace his person with such repulsive thoughts again.

"Ugh," Kagome's head bows in her own frustration. Was she that hung up on demons? Why couldn't she find a nice, normal human attractive? Someone like Hojo…Wait, no, not like Hojo. Something about his overly nice character and impulsive gift giving left Kagome feeling uncomfortable in his presence. Maybe someone like Miroku? Kagome's blue orbs slid over to where the monk and slayer were obviously flirting while they packed up camp. A soft smile falling on her lips, the miko watched as the monk received a well deserved slap to the face as his hand had traveled a little too far south after catching the falling slayer by the back.

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Yeah, someone like Miroku would be good. Not Miroku himself, of course, he already belonged to Sango (whether he knew it or not). Someone kind and wise, maybe a little bit older as well, and someone who would cherish her. That's all the miko really wanted anyways. A man who would love her for who she was and for no other reason. Hell, she was from the future for pete's sake, she wouldn't mind a little 'hentai' action here and there.

What the Feudal Era considered perverse, the young miko had seen thousands of times before (and much worse thanks to her friends that forced her into watching some, er, dirty videos). At this point, any form of touching would be welcome. I mean, she was an 18 year old virgin. It would be perfectly normal for her to have already gone on a few dates, to have kissed a few guys, and possibly even had sex already.

The thought of kissing however brought up some dark memories for the miko. The first being the graze of lips that could barely be considered a kiss she shared with Inuyasha, and the second was the rough assault of Sesshomaru's mouth upon her own. Neither of those were pleasant memories, and Kagome was determined to not count either of them as her first real kiss. Her first real kiss would be with a guy who she has feelings for AND who had feelings for her in return. The miko was inexperienced so she would let him take the lead, but that didn't mean the miko would be passive. No, there were a lot of things the girl from the future wanted to try…

Another shake of the head force the miko to get her head out of the gutter. What was she doing getting all hot and bothered? Kagome rolled her eyes at her own pervertedness. Maybe she was a hentai in this time?

It was as the miko was pondering this very thought that the source of her earlier embarrassment strolled into their side of camp. Sesshomaru had no intention to join the group so early on, he could still see the children playing and the human's had yet to break their fast, but he was pulled from his spot across the clearing when he smelled something damn near intoxicating. Oh, not whatever food the miko was making, but the miko herself.

_Does she even realize what she's doing?_ Molten gold glint like a predator's hungry gaze as a second wave of the onna's arousal assaulted his senses. Rouge dusted cheeks, sparkling crystals for eyes, and the fire's flames dancing across the miko's pale skin made the onna look far from human. She looked otherworldly, but that wasn't Sesshomaru's analysis, of course. It was his beast who growled low with desire for the creature before them.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what could have possibly caused the miko's aroused state. Following her gaze, Sesshomaru was slightly shocked to find her clouded gaze fell on the monk and the slayer. Assuming the cause of her current state was the human man (if it was the woman the inu's plans were in for a big hurdle), golden eyes narrowed on the falsely pious male. The demon lord knew that the miko had held feelings for his pathetic half-brother, but he had never heard anything about her lusting after the monk. This was a problem, and it would have to be settled quickly. Even if it was something he did not want, the inu prince did not share.

"Miko." Sesshomaru walked up in his usually calm manner, but underneath the inu was rather unsettled. An unpleasant feeling was twisting in his gut and he couldn't pinpoint as to why. The youkai just knew he wanted the onna to stop staring at the other male with such a lust filled gaze.

Kagome started as her title was called. Pulled from her own inner musings, the miko was a little slow on the uptake as she shook her head once more to rid herself of her less than innocent thoughts. When she was back to normal her gaze fell on a rather peeved inu. _What's his problem? _

"Yes, Sesshomaru?" Kagome's voice is civil as she hoped they could continue their somewhat cordial relationship from last night. The demon, however, just stood there staring down at her with a seeking gaze of gold. While he remained unresponsive, the miko's mind began to wonder back to his newly formed arm, then to how those strong arms had felt wrapped around her, and then to how hard and masculine his form had been underneath hers…

A regal brow arched as the spicy scent of the miko's desires licked like flames against his senses once more, but this time more saturated. Sesshomaru observed the small creature as her eyes roamed over his person, from his arms, to his chest, and down the length of his torso. When her gaze was about to settle even lower, the fire within her burnt her cheeks to a near crimson and her eyes left the youkai's form to settle back on the actual fire. The entire display was rather…interesting to the inu.

Sesshomaru would normally feel repulsed that a human onna was looking on his being with such blatant desire. He would even insist their eyes be gouged out or life taken so they could never commit the same offense again. The proud demon had even killed demonesses that had been too brazen with their desire for the Western Lord—though he only killed them after they made the mistake of touching his person. With the miko, however, those urges never surfaced. Instead, the miko's desire for him left the demon lord feeling proud. A strange sense of triumph came with the knowledge that this powerful miko wanted him and it made Sesshomaru's ego swell.

"Miko." The demon's voice was lower now, and a underlying sense of something dark and forbidden laced his deep baritone. That alone was enough to make Kagome shiver. What was wrong with her! Her blue eyes darted up to the inu's face that was just as stony as usual, except for his eye that were heated. Eyes returning to the fire, Kagome decided it was best she didn't play whatever game the demon prince had in mind.

"How can I help you, Sesshomaru?" By now, the rest of the Inu-taichi were gathering around. Sango had been the first to move in when she saw the inu lord approach the distracted miko. The slayer didn't want to intervene but she could see Kagome's growing discomfort. Miroku had followed her lead and wondered over by the fire, freezing in place when a dangerous glare was directed at him from the normally emotionless demon lord. What had he done to have such hostility directed his way (Poor Miroku. It's not your fault this time). Even the kids were moving in the direction of Kagome and Sesshomaru as they felt like something was bout to happen and their curious natures couldn't pass up the chance to watch something interesting.

"This one thinks you have already helped enough for the time being, Miko." Sesshomaru spoke slow as he raised his left hand to brush his mass of silver hair behind his shoulder. The notion was small, but the monk and slayer instantly registered the inu's meaning.

"Lord Sesshomaru, your arm has been healed?" The slayer stepped forward hesitantly. Shock and awe apparent on her face as she looked in between the cold face of the youkai and the flaming cheeks of their miko. Kagome felt like she was overheating as all eyes fell on her.

"Sesshomaru-sama, congratulations!" A sweet voice chimed like a bell as the small body of a young girl came running towards the intimidating demon. Latching on to a white pant leg, Rin smiled a big toothy grin up to the daiyoukai, expressing her happiness for her adopted father figure.

Everyone except for Kagome flinched as they worried for the child's wellbeing, but the miko knew deep in her soul that Sesshomaru would never hurt the child. Rin was probably the only being alive that would always be safe from Sesshomaru's temper.

A clawed hand rested on the human pup's head as he looked upon her smile. It was a smile of pure innocence, selflessness, and joy on the demon's behalf. It was a smile that Sesshomaru had only ever seen on this child's face. That is, until the miko gave him a similar breathtaking smile last night.

He would never admit it, but Sesshomaru valued his ward's affection. Those without an ulterior motive were rare around the ice prince, so having someone love him so unconditionally was a nice reprieve from the dog eat dog world that was the youkai court. The demon lord may not ever understand human love, but he would always welcome it from Rin.

"Lady Kagome," Miroku started in dazed amazement before asking the obvious. "You were able to heal Lord Sesshomaru's arm?" The others in their pack all waited for her response, but the miko only sat stewing in shy silence.

"Hn." The daiyoukai confirmed the monk's suspicion, but before Sesshomaru could implement the first stage in his plan of courting the miko by thanking her, a foul mouthed man-child came barreling into the clearing from who knows where.

"Fuck, that bastard put up a fight." Inuyasha stretched his arms above his head. His red image was lightly battered and his hair was tousled more than usual. He had obviously just come from a fight.

"Inuyasha, where have you been?" Miroku's violet eyes narrowed slightly on his friend. The monk hated useless violence and the state of the hanyou led him to believe violence had definitely occurred.

"Keh, don't get your robes in a bunch, Monk. A bear demon just engaged me in some friendly sparring on my way back." The hanyou scratched the back of his head as his ears twitched. The atmosphere became tense.

"On your way back from where?" Shippo asked. The fox kit moved to settle near Kagome's side. His tiny, emerald eyes glaring accusingly at the bigger demon. The kit had noticed he had disappeared sometime in the middle of the night. He hadn't given it much thought then, but now that his demon senses were picking up the smell of dirt and graveyard soil the fox had a bad feeling.

Inuyasha's ears fidgeted as his face grew heated by being caught red handed. "Shut it, runt. I just went for a walk." Amber eyes flashed to Kagome in an effort to gauge her reaction. Instead of the accusatory glare or watery gaze he expected, Inuyasha found the little miko was paying him no heed.

The onna just stared at the fire as she did her best to not even look at the hanyou. What was she so worked up over? Inuyasha scented the air and instantly became flustered. What the hell was with _that _scent?

"What the fuck, Kagome? What are you doing so early in the morning?" Ignoring the fact that he was returning from his own nightly rendezvous, the hanyou marched over to take a more dramatic sniff of the air around his 'pure' friend. Kagome looked up confused as she had no idea what Inuyasha was barking about, but unnoticed to all was how Sesshomaru's body braced at the half-breeds approach.

"Fuck, wench. You smell like…" Kagome stood up before the hanyou could finish his insult and directed a seething glare at her supposed 'friend'. She didn't know what his problem was, but the dog comes back from his nightly fling only to start insulting her? Hell no. Kagome was not in the mood for Inuyasha's bullshit tirades about how she was doing something wrong when she wasn't even doing anything!

"Inuyasha," Kagome's voice was low and threatening before she smiled the scary smile that had Shippo slowly backing away from his mother figure. "I think this is long overdo." Kagome's smile becomes twisted with the threat in her words and the hanyou's fluffy little ears plaster to the sides of his head. He knew what was coming.

"Wait, Kags. Please, d…" Before the mutt could even finish, Kagome was giving the sacred orders.

"Sit, boy!" Kagome spoke the words calmly but that only added to the affect as Inuyasha plummeted to the ground in an earth shaking crash. Appreciating her work, the little miko approached the mini-crater to see the amber eyes of her hanyou friend glaring up at her.

"Listen, wench." The foolish dog began, but Kagome only smiled even more sweetly before saying the command once more in a saccharine tone.

"Sit, boy." A soft chime of giggles could be heard after the rattling of the earth settled. All eyes were on the miko as she continued to laugh in what seemed to be utter amusement at the hanyou's expense, and the humor was not lost on anyone present. The rest of the Inu-taichi were happy to have some normalcy back in their lives as Kagome was truly back to her old self, and a certain inu lord also found the whelp's treatment quite entertaining. In his opinion, the miko should subjugate the half-breed more often. That was her right as his future mate and alpha bitch of the pack.

"Alright," Kagome clapped as she turned to leave the dog in the dust. "Let's eat and then set out, kay?" The miko's words were bright and harmonious with her normally kind disposition, but no one could mistake the subtle command underlying the innocent suggestion. The matters from earlier were settled and it was time to move on, and that is what everyone did.

Sesshomaru and his beast watched in mild interest as the pack oriented themselves around the miko and she began to feed everyone. Even the mutt with his bruised body and ego got a portion in exchange for a compulsory ear rub. The pack was strong, Sesshomaru could see that clearly. Every member had their own reasons for traveling together and fighting against Naraku, but they had bonded far beyond a common cause. The group was a pack through and through, and it was no doubt that the miko was the leader, the alpha.

Sesshomaru sat down against a tree on the Inu-taichi's side of camp and watched the group's movements. He could wait to speak to the miko later. She was feeding her pack right now, and as a fellow alpha he understood her need to fulfill her duty.

A silver head leaned back against the rough bark of the old oak true. Breathing deeply, the inu tried to ignore the lingering scent of the miko's arousal. It had the demon and his beast on edge as it teased their senses. Really, what had the miko been thinking about?

A smug smirk pulled at the daiyoukai's lips at the possible answers to that question that his beast readily supplied. Perhaps courting the onna wouldn't be so difficult after all if Sesshomaru appealed to the miko's baser nature.

* * *

The day passed by quickly. With no lead on the shard, the group travelled for over half of the day before Kagome and Inuyasha clashed over what they should do next. Honestly, the group wasn't going to make any progress without more information on either the shard or Naraku and they all knew that, but Inuyasha was not one to sit around and do nothing. It was the miko that pointed out they didn't have to do nothing, they could take some damn time to analyze the situation and make a plan instead of just roaming across all of Japan aimlessly.

Once that was agreed upon, the Inu-taichi regrouped and decided to make camp for the night to discuss their options. This decision was made promptly to remain exactly where they were as the miko pointed out their proximity to a hot spring and everyone knew not to get in between Kagome and her bath—a lesson even the inu lord now understood.

"Keh, fine. We can camp here for the night. Everyone meet up here after dusk and we can start 'planning.' Like that shits gonna get us anywhere." With that said, the younger inu jumped into the trees and out of sight. They all knew where he was going so no one asked any questions. Instead, everyone just settled into their routines and began setting up camp. It was about 3 in the afternoon so it was still warm enough with the late autumn sun shinning down on their spot by a river, but Kagome thought it would be nice to prepare a fire in order to make some tea to fight off the wind's chilling bite. After locating a good spot for the fire pit and sending the children off to collect kindling, the miko searched for her old backpack.

"Kagome-chan?" The slayer approached Kagome as she rustled through her ugly yellow sack. A nervous look accompanied the older onna as she brushed her long ponytail behind her shoulders. Not even waiting to be acknowledged, Sango crouched down to kneel beside the miko who was observing her curiously. It was strange for Sango to get flustered over anything. Well, anything that didn't have to do with relationships or concern her feelings for the perverted monk. Oh…

"Yeah? You need something Sango?" A knowing look flashed behind Kagome's gaze as she tried to hide her smile. Was there some girl talk coming her way?

The onna Kagome saw as an older sister continued to fidget uncomfortably as she stared at the hands folded in her lap. "Um." A light blush colored the pale onna's complexion before she glances up to met Kagome's inquisitive gaze. Warm chocolate reflected Sango's shyness but she trusted Kagome with all her heart so she got up the courage to ask her question.

"Um, since we have some time before dusk, I was wondering if you would mind. I mean, if its not too much trouble, would it be ok if Miroku and I take Kirara to see a nearby town? Apparently it has a lot of shops and I know we could pick up some supplies. I could get you something as well, if you want, or…" Kagome placed a hand on the slayer's shoulder. Her smile was full blown now as she realized Sango was actually asking her permission to go on a date with Miroku.

"Sango," The miko began as she smothered her amusement at the situation in a mockingly serious tone. "I will be fine watching the camp as you and Miroku go to get supplies. However," A mischievous smile played along the miko's lips. "I have one condition."

Sango saw the look in Kagome's eyes and knew she was in for trouble with the way the miko's inner light made her blue eyes sparkle. That was never a good sign when paired with such an impish grin. However, Sango was curious as to what the condition could be so she nodded her head.

"Of course." The slayer signed her own demise with the verbal agreement and Kagome's grin became down right wicked. Leaning forward to place her lips directly at the slayer's ears so none of the demons around them could hear, Kagome told Sango her condition.

"I expect details when you return." Sango blushed bright red and Kagome laughed. Soon, both girls were giggling as Sango agreed to discuss the 'date,' as Kagome called it, later that evening. Perhaps during a bath.

As Sango left to go tell Miroku they were in the clear, Kagome went back to rustling through the cavern she called a backpack to find the tea pot. She had the matches for the fire, the kids should be returning with the twigs in a matter of seconds, now what else could she need?

A thud right behind her made Kagome jump and turn with an airy squeak. There, with a silver brow raised, stood Sesshomaru with a heap of logs at his feet. Rin and Shippo were also bouncing around the daiyoukai and laughing at the miko's reaction, but Kagome could only stare at the inu looking down at her.

"You wish to build a fire, yes?" Sesshomaru's collected demeanor could not hide the slight amusement behind his gaze, apparently he also found the poor onna's fear humorous. In truth, the daiyoukai was a little concerned by the miko's lack of awareness. The demon lord knew the miko could sense him with her reiki if she bothered to use it, so why was she so unguarded around him, one of the most dangerous beings in all Japan?

"Yeah." Kagome trailed off as she looked from the stack of logs and back up to the daiyoukai's face. "But how did you know?" She couldn't help but ask. Was the inu able to read minds now? A flashback to her thoughts earlier that day had Kagome begging every Kami she could name that he couldn't.

_Really_. Sesshomaru's eyes floated over the pink cheeks of the miko. _Did the onna ever stop changing colors_? "You asked the children to fetch kindling." The youkai answered bluntly, and before Kagome could respond she had two kids waving sticks in her face.

"Mama look! I found the most sticks." Shippo said proudly as he flaunted his tiny fistfuls of twigs. Rin was quick to deny his claim though after she stuck her tongue out at the fox.

"Shippo-chan it's not good to lie. Look, Rin has way more than you. Right, Oka-san?" A bright smile warmed Kagome's heart for one brief instant before a cold weight settled on her chest. Hesitant blue eyes looked up to meet expectant gold. As if knowing what she was worried over, the demon lord quickly put her fears to rest with a nod for her to proceed.

Kagome was shocked. Sesshomaru was giving Rin permission to refer to her so familiarly? Didn't that affect his 'image,' or whatever, to be associated with a human like her? Or maybe someone like him has no need to care about his image and acted only as he pleased. That mentality suited someone like Sesshomaru, and that meant his permission was granted for Rin's benefit. That thought made Kagome smile.

On the other hand, Sesshomaru was just doing as his beast suggested by allowing Rin to refer to the miko as mother, but he never expected such a satisfactory response from the human. The miko looked up at him with a huge smile in gratitude before she went to mediating the kit and pup's dispute over who had the most sticks.

That smile had done something to Sesshomaru. It was rare that people smiled at the powerful youkai and it was even rarer that people smiled for the deadly demon, yet the miko did so freely and without thought to what she could gain from him. It left the daiyoukai feeling, well, strange.

"Shippo, Rin. Why don't you two go play now. The adults need to talk." The miko's words catch Sesshomaru's attention and his gaze becomes wary. It was supposed to be him initiating the conversation for the first part of his plan, but why would the miko have need to speak to him alone?

The cautious inu waited for the miko to address her concern, but instead she just watched the children begin a game of tag with an affectionate smile on her face. Never turning around, the onna eventually broke the silence.

"Thanks, you know. For Rin." Emotions are heavy in the onna's voice and make her appreciative words come out as a hoarse whisper, but his demonic senses still hear her clearly. The thanks stumps the cold youkai for a moment, however. As he was unused to smiles, he was also unused to thanks. At least, not thanks that didn't involve groveling and being thanked for sparing pathetic lives.

But this was a good start. The miko was speaking to him and there was no hostility or fear to taint her heavenly scent. Sesshomaru decides this was as good an opportunity as any and sits beside the miko to implement the first step in his courting, 'appreciating' the onna.

Feeling the movement behind her, Kagome's eyes rove back around to see a big inu sitting next to her, staring at her. The onna blinks a few times as she tries to process the strange scene, but the inu doesn't wait for her to speak.

"It is this one that should be thanking you." The words held a weight of genuine gratitude and the molten gold of Sesshomaru's demonic stare bored straight into Kagome. It was as if he was trying to relate to her without words how grateful he truly was.

The sincerity in his words and gaze left the miko speechless for a few more moments before a kind smile graced her face. "I already told you. I did it for my own selfish reasons. You have no need to thank me, Sesshomaru."

"It would be dishonorable for this one not to extend his thanks, Miko. Do you think this one to be without honor?" Sesshomaru challenged with a raised brow. What did the miko think of him anyway? It hadn't occurred to Sesshomaru what the miko's opinion of him could be or how he appeared through those innocent, blue eyes.

Kagome chuckled as the prickly dog in front of her got defensive. That hadn't been what she meant at all. "I know you are honorable, Sesshomaru. Your treatment of Rin proves that much." The miko's features soften further as she looks at the demon before her. _Maybe he isn't so bad after all, you know, besides having a stick up his ass all the time. _

**Show proper thanks, pup!** **Offer her a reward!** Sesshomaru's beast growled from within his cage. The beast was apparently not happy with its logical half's slow progress with the miko. If the courting was left up to it, they would be bedding the onna by sundown.

"This one is quite wealthy, Miko." The Western Lord stated plainly, thinking his meaning was implicit. The miko, however, just stared at him for a moment longer as her brows pulled together and her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Is that so. That must be nice." Kagome answered the inu's rather abrupt statement as politely as she could. Why was he boasting about his wealth to her? Her opinion of him couldn't possible matter.

In turn, the demon lord also stared back incredulously. Anyone with half a brain could understand what his words implied. How could the miko's analytical mind miss his meaning. She couldn't possible be expect no payment for such a deed?

A small shake of a silvery mane and a firm set to the inu's pale lips. "This one wishes to repay his debt, Miko. Name your price." Beating around the bush was getting them no where, and Sesshomaru was more comfortable with being direct and so was Kagome.

"My price? Sesshomaru, I already told you not to worry about it." Kagome really didn't understand what was the big deal. Yes, the act was a pretty amazing service on her part (a big pat on the back for her there), but she never expected Sesshomaru to repay her. Hell, she hadn't even expected a thank you.

"Miko, you insult this one if you deny our gratitude." Golden eyes narrow at the small onna before him. The dog didn't know why, but it bothered him that the female wanted nothing from him. He could give her anything, he had the money, so why wasn't she cooperating?

Sensing the growing agitation of the demon beside her, Kagome rolled her eyes beneath her closed lids (like she'd do that in front of an angry demon lord while she was in her right mind. She liked her head where it was, thank you very much).

Opening her eyes once again, her gaze rested on the stiff form of the demon before her. Her price. What could that even mean? Should she ask for him to donate some silver into the pack's traveling funds? No, they could just use Miroku's 'exorcisms' if they needed lodging or supplies, but if it wasn't for the pack Kagome had no idea what she could possibly ask for. It didn't help her thought process either as the longer she thought the more irritated the demon before her became. Her thoughts became a jumbled mess in her hurry to think of something she could ask for but no request came to mind. Instead, a fleeting idea became Kagome's saving grace.

"You've already repaid me." Is the miko's response. Golden eyes narrow into slits at her words. How could he have already compensated the miko without his knowledge. Before he could question her on her falsehood, however, Kagome explained.

"Earlier that day, you saved Shippo and the rest of us, remember?" The onna's eyes became clouded with her memory of her near loss. "I know you've probably noticed already, but I think of Shippo as my own. Saving him, I think I am the one in your debt, Sesshomaru."

The miko smiled at him with watery eyes and Sesshomaru grew uncomfortable with the ever shifting emotions of the tiny creature before him. It was true he had saved the kit, and he had done so with the intention of getting in the miko's good graces, but something bothered the inu for having his debt settled in such a manner. Where the miko had seemingly provided her service with no ulterior motives, Sesshomaru had acted with only his interest in mind. The exchange felt rather inadequate to the honor-bound youkai, but he would have to make do for now as arguing over the matter was doing him no good.

"Hn…" Is all the demon lord said on the matter and it was put to rest. Kagome sensed the youkai was probably done talking for the time being and began to set up the fire. Before long, she had the fire built and a pot of green tea ready for the group upon their return. In a rare show of feminine etiquette, Kagome even decided to pour Sesshomaru the first cup of tea as they waited together for the others to return.

A slight nod of the head was his show of thanks, but really the demon was surprised the miko could act with such decorum. He had always seen her raging or raving over something or other, but as she sat sipping her tea in comfortable silence, Sesshomaru realized there could be much more to the young onna than what met the eye. Her power, for one, was something no one would guess if judging solely on her appearance. That, or the ferocity and loyalty the onna carried in her petite frame when it came to her loved ones. Yes, the miko was full of surprises.

* * *

An hour more or so passed as the children ran and played while Kagome and the youkai sat in silence. Kagome had thought siting so close to the powerful youkai would be uncomfortable, but she found that the experience was surprisingly normal, even edging on mundane. The big dog didn't threaten to bite her or bark at her. Instead, while the stony features of the demon barricaded others from seeing too much, the molten gold of Sesshomaru's gaze allowed for glimpses of inner thoughts and emotions as they rolled around the demon's mind. By the look of things, the demon lord was lost in his own thoughts as they sat together.

The silence was peaceful and allowed for Kagome to adjust and familiarize herself with her 'spell partner' a little bit. She knew they would have to get closer eventually to rid themselves of the spell's affects, but Kagome felt an odd sense of trepidation over getting so close to this particular youkai so quickly.

Yes, the miko meant what she said about starting over and she fully intended to give Sesshomaru another chance, but a small part of her blanched at the thought of getting close to such a black hearted being. Sesshomaru wasn't like Naraku though, as Kagome was slowly coming to realize, so maybe there was a chance for him. The thought that his soul could be saved solidified Kagome's resolve to give Sesshomaru a fair chance. She was going to see him as his own being for his own actions from now on. She was going to view him how she hoped others viewed her.

Resolve in place, Kagome's mind began to wander about how she should go about 'understanding' and 'accepting' the dog demon. After only a few moments of fruitless brainstorming, the young onna was relieved to see Kirara returning with Miroku and Sango.

"They're back!" Kagome chirped as she shot to her feet. She had been waiting for this all afternoon. A sly smile ghosted along plump lips as Kagome thought of the interrogation she was about to give her friend. She needed to live vicariously through someone.

With a step in her target's direction, Kagome paused for a brief second to look back down at the inu still lost in his thoughts.

"Ne, Sesshomaru?" Kagome's soft voice breaks the demon's trance and gold meets blue. With his attention on her, the miko assumed that he wished for her to continue.

"If Sango and I go to the hot spring, will you be ok alone with Miroku and the kids?" Kagome didn't really know why she was asking such a ridiculous question. The urge to make sure he wouldn't be uncomfortable had been too strong as the inquiry fell from her lips. With his figure sitting there in his pristine white clothing and his silvery mane, Sesshomaru just looked so out of place in their close-knit group. It made the young onna wonder if the demon ever felt lonely.

"Do you imply the monk could possibly harm this one's person?" The inu looked insulted at the insinuation before a smug smirk told of how preposterous the thought was, and Kagome just laughed as a coy smirk crossed her own face.

"No, that's not what I meant and you know it." With sass emanating from the onna, she walked away to steal Sango for a nice, long soak in the hot springs. Rin and Shippo tried to follow, but for once Kagome stopped them.

"Sorry, kids. Us grown ups need to talk."

* * *

Kagome laughed as Sango buried her blushing face into her hands. They had been in the hot spring for only 10 minutes before Kagome launched her attack and bombarded the older onna with questions about her 'date' with the monk.

"Wait, so he started groping you before you even landed in the village?" Humor hid behind sparkling eyes. Kagome knew the monk was horny, but damn.

"Kagome-chan, do we really need to do this?" The slayer's inflamed face was heated both from the hot spring and their conversation. It wasn't like she wanted to hide anything from the younger onna, but Sango really wasn't used to these type of conversations.

"Oh, no you don't. You agreed remember. Details!" Kagome faked a scolding look before returning to her goofy grin at her friends expense. Really, the miko just wanted to know how far the two had gone. Sango had told her they had shared a few stolen kisses here and there, but nothing major.

"Very well." The slayer sighed as she busied herself with using Kagome's 'conditioner' in her mahogany locks. As she massaged the thick lather into her long hair, the slayer mumbled something under her breath.

"Sorry, no demons here. Please speak at a normal volume." Kagome's mirth was evident as she flashed a toothy grin at the reddening cheeks of her friend. If Sango and her had one thing in common, it was their ability to change colors on a dime.

"I said," Sango huffed as she banged her fist against the surface of the heated pool, splashing the miko a little in her agitated state. "I said," the slayer continued after taking a calming breath. "…we did it." The words were but a whisper but Kagome heard them and all the fooling around ceased. That was a big step for the couple, and Kagome wasn't one to poke fun at something so serious.

"Does this mean you two are official?" Kagome hedged gently. It was a sensitive topic, you know, with the state of Miroku's impending doom and all. Sad brown eyes glanced over to where the miko sat on the opposite side of the spring.

"Yes, he proposed." Sango's words came out slow, as if she herself couldn't believe them, but her beautiful smile was filled with joy.

"Oh, Sango. Congratulations!" Kagome's smile was kind now instead of taunting as she lowered herself off her perch to come and rest a hand on the slayer's shoulder. "I couldn't be happier for you two."

Silence stretched between the two before Sango continued. "We won't marry until Naraku is vanquished. Kagome-chan" Beseeching eyes locked on the miko. "You will be there, won't you?"

The simple question spoke volumes to how close Sango and Kagome had become over the course of these three years. They were family now, Kagome could see that in Sango's hopeful gaze. Sango, who had lost her entire family from a young age, wanted Kagome by her side on her wedding day, and that was a request the young miko couldn't refuse.

"Of course," Kagome smiled at her sister and Sango smiled back at her. The miko could feel the love radiating behind the slayer's teary gaze, and she sat beside her friend for a moment in silence. Kagome knew Sango had been worried about Miroku's condition for a while now and what it meant for their future together, but it seemed the monk had finally stepped up and gave her friend the reassurance she deserved.

"I don't suppose you wanna talk about doing 'it' yet, huh?" The miko laughed as Sango pushed a huge wall of water her way, and the tense atmosphere was broken. The two spent the rest of the time talking about miscellaneous things and what life would be like once Naraku was gone. Kagome was even able to have Sango promise to name one of her kids after her. It had been a long time since the two onna just sat and talked about nothing, and the experience was greatly missed. In their fun, they didn't even notice the time until the sun's setting rays began to blind the slayer.

"It's nearly dusk. We should return to camp." Sango sighed as she stood from the water. "Gah, Kagome-chan, how do you enjoy this? I am like a dried out persimmon!" Sango glared down accusingly at the little miko for her body's pruned state.

Kagome just laughed at the horrified look on the the slayer's face as she remained in the water. "It is relaxing, that's how. I think I am going to stay behind just a few more minutes." The miko dismissed her friend's offer to stay and told her to go enjoy some time with her 'fiancé,' and then proceeded to tell the slayer what the adopted French term meant.

Once the slayer was gone, Kagome moved from her sitting position to a natural shelf further off to the side of the hot spring. She had noticed it earlier, but looking down now it was the perfect lounging spot. The heated stone rose just below the surface of the water and spanned for about 6 feet in length. This allowed the miko to lay out on the stone's surface comfortably as the warm water lapped at her sides.

The spot was perfect for Kagome as she rested her eyes and thought about what Sango had told her. She was overjoyed for her friends and couldn't wait to celebrate their wedding once the bastard Naraku was dead, but the thought about her friend's lives afterwards made Kagome wonder about what was next for her? Would she stay in the Feudal Era? Was there even a point in doing so now that her and Inuyasha were all but done?

Now that thought brought on other types of concerns to the miko's mind. Whether she stayed here or not, would she ever be able to find someone to love her? Was she that unlovable? In her 18 years of life, Kagome's 'love interests' included a jerk still hung up on his ex, an obsessive stalker with a herbal garden of medicinal plants as his courting material, and a pigheaded wolf that didn't know how to take no for an answer. No, her past record with the male species was far from stellar.

How hard was it to find a love like Sango and Miroku's? A love that transcended difficulties and overcame hardships to find one another. Not neglecting the passionate love of a certain monk that couldn't keep his hands to himself. The thought of strong hands holding her tight made Kagome's nipples that were already hard from the cold air grow impossibly harder. A delicate hand left the warm depths of the water to slide along her sides before two fingers brushed against the sensitive skin of her right breast. A soft moan escaped Kagome's lips.

Indulging in her fantasy, the miko copies her earlier movements but this time she uses both hands as she cups her womanly mounds. Pointer fingers flick over hardened nubs before they join with the thumb to pinch the protruding beads.

Imagining the hands on her are strong and male sends a wave of heat down to the miko's core. Abandoning one of her breasts in an attempt to chase the heat, a tentative finger glides along Kagome's wet slit. The man of her dreams uses that finger to trace her lower lips in languid strokes. Up and down, up and down, teasing the poor onna until she dripping with her very own sweet nectar.

A single finger pushes through her womanly folds. Searching, the finger rubs the inside of Kagome's walls, but it wasn't until her precious bud was found that the miko lost all control. Moaning in abandon as fingers began massaging her clit, Kagome's body twitched and jolted under the ministrations of her imaginary lover.

She was so close, Kagome bit down on her lip to contain the needy whine trying escape her throat. She felt so good and she needed only a second more. As the miko stood on the edge of her climax waiting to dive into the pleasurable abyss of her orgasm, the image of her mystery lover flashed behind her eyes. He had silver hair and golden eyes.

"Ah!" Kagome released a shuddering moan as a powerful orgasm sent her reeling. The force behind the experience left the miko panting and blurry eyed as she came down from her high. Kagome had never experienced anything like that before and it slightly concerned her how weak she felt. However, what really scarred her was who her mind conjured up in her fantasy as she neared completion. Why the hell had it been Sesshomaru?

* * *

Two pairs of eyes watched the miko as she writhed in the aftermath of her powerful orgasm. One was molten gold. The other, crimson.

* * *

**AN: Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for waiting patiently. I have gotten the majority of my work done so I was able to finally update the story. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and to make up for keeping you all waiting I made it the longest chapter yet! **

**Again, a special thank you goes to everyone who has taken the time to review this story. Your thoughts and opinions mean so much to me and I love reading them. They also serve as great motivation to keep going and get the chapters out as quick as I can. Honestly, if it wasn't for all your sweet reviews, this chapter might have taken a few more days to get out. I just hope I can continue to write a story you all enjoy. See you guys next time!**


	8. The Love Spell: Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Yada yada yada, I no own INUYASHA. Yada yada yada, sad. **

* * *

A feral growl proceeded to slip between the daiyoukai's snarling lips as he palmed his throbbing member. The image of the miko pleasuring herself now branded behind the daiyoukai's lids left the large inu panting through his own heat. The mere memory of the intoxicating scent of the onna's arousal consumed the inu's mind as crimson bled into gold. The inu's instincts were demanding the demon lord to return to the onna's side and take her like a bitch in heat, to turn her over on her hands and knees and rutt with her like the beast he was, but Sesshomaru's logical side warred with his instincts once again. They couldn't do such a thing, and Sesshomaru would never do such a thing as force himself on an unwilling female. That kind of despicable act was for males with no honor.

It was only when the daiyoukai snarled his release and mentally reminded his beast that such actions would prove counterintuitive to their cause in getting closer to the miko that the rilled animal stilled in his cage long enough for Sesshomaru to collect himself. It had been a long time since the relatively 'young' demon had felt such arousal by sight alone. Honestly, the demon lord was certain he had never felt such heat before in his long life. How could such a pure soul look so tempting? Did her inherent innocence as a miko not forbid such obscene behavior?

Thousands of thoughts of a similar nature turned in the daiyoukai's head as he straightened his hakama and returned to camp. He had fled the miko's side quickly after she found her own release because, for once, the inu lord did not trust his control over his instincts. Plus, Sesshomaru had to go take care of his own, er, problem before he could face any of his new traveling companions, especially his spell partner.

Impassive mask back in place, the daiyoukai entered the clearing to their camp in his usual manner, a regal vision of silver and white silk. An air of superiority clung to the ice prince in the way the demon lord held himself and to those around him he appeared to be the same cold bastard they had always known. No one could guess the foreign emotions and conflicting thoughts that currently dueled inside the daiyoukai's mind, and he would make sure no one ever would.

* * *

"Inuyasha," The slayer stood as the hanyou entered the clearing, followed quickly by the monk. The daiyoukai creaked one eyelid open to see the whelp had finally returned to the clearing. An hour had passed since their designated meeting time yet the supposed alpha walked in with little care to his tardiness. Instead, the boy just folded his arms into his sleeves as he looked around the clearing. A glare between half-brothers was shared before Inuyasha finally noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Kagome?" Amber eyes locked on the violet of the monk's patient gaze as the lecher rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

"Ah, Lady Kagome journeyed to the hot spring earlier this evening, and as you were not here for the meeting we decided to not intrude on her favorite past time." The monk looked somewhat concerned despite the nonchalance of his words.

"Yeah, Mama loves her baths!" Shippo chirped from beside Rin. They were both playing beside Ah Un as the damn kappa had magically reappeared with the beast after some time. Where had they been?

The kit's words were true, Kagome did love her baths and everyone knew better than to cut her time short in the heated springs unless absolutely necessary. That being the case, the miko's friends had no intention of ending her time in the springs only to face her wrath when they returned to find no Inuyasha here for their discussion. It was for the peace of the group, and their own safety, that they thought it was best to wait for their kind, yet deadly when provoked, friend to return on her own.

"Keh, that girl's probably boiled herself to death by now! You two can't just keep catering to her like some spoiled princess!" When neither the slayer or the monk moved at his words, the younger inu threw his hands into the air. "Fine, I'll go get her." Inuyasha grumbled under his breath. A slight smirk pulled at the older inu's lips as he watched the half-breed sprint into the trees. He could smell the whelps nervousness and fear at what was to come.

Sesshomaru returned to resting his eyes as he sat close to the children who were playing the same game of 'tag' he had witnessed earlier. It was an interesting game, and the daiyoukai wondered how the inu pups would fair playing such a game. The doggy general's mind quickly phased in as Sesshomaru contemplated the potential of turning the children's game into a training practice. It certainly would call to the dog's instincts. Canines loved a good chase.

It was in the midst of his military planning that Inuyasha returned and without the miko. The usually flippant look to the whelp was gone and a seriousness that was befitting of a proper alpha took it's place. The others merely stared at the boy in wonder as they could only see his pale expression and hardened glare, but everyone was shocked out of their trance when Sesshomaru suddenly appeared beside Inuyasha.

"She's gone." Inuyasha finally voiced the cause of his distress. Chaos erupted among the pack members as the monk and slayer badgered the hanyou with questions, the children began to cry as they realized what had happened, and Jaken's insufferable squawking started as he tried to make sense of the situation. Sesshomaru heard none of this, however, as all his attention was fixed on what was being held tightly in the whelp's claws. The miko's shirt, seemingly ripped from her form in shreds, was dyed red with blood.

"I tried!" Inuyasha growled as the slayer asked why he hadn't followed the miko's scent. "Damn it, I tried." The boy's fist clenched around the fabric to the point of piercing his own palm. He had circled the entire area frantically in an attempt to catch one whiff of the bastard that could have taken her, but there was no scent! Nothing. Inuyasha was in the dark, lost, and with Kagome's life in danger the hanyou knew what he had to do. He hated it, but if it was for his best friend's life, he would do anything.

"My senses are too weak." Inuyasha stated bluntly, but he was no longer looking at his friends. Instead, amber clashed with burnt copper as the younger inu looked to his elder. Bitter resignation reflected in the amber orbs as the hanyou held out his hand like the bloodied scraps of cloth were an offering. "But yours aren't."

Before the rest of the group could process what had just transpired, the daiyoukai fisted the miko's shredded clothing and disappeared. In a matter of seconds, the silver inu was at the hot spring. The lingering scent of the miko's arousal had all but been washed away by the steam of the heated pools, so the inu's racing mind remained clear of any distractions as he processed the terrain. His nostrils flared as he quickly scented the area, and Sesshomaru felt a menacing growl from in the bellows of his chest. Eyes bled red entirely and fangs bared, the enraged inu beast snarled the kidnapper's name.

**"Kagura."**

* * *

A loud groan reverberated against the stone walls of the cave as Kagome's naked body was tossed to the ground. The damn wind witch had ambushed her from behind just as she was getting dressed so now the miko's body bore thin lacerations all over her back from Kagura's wind attack, but a little blood here and there didn't even phase the miko anymore. No, the young onna was more concerned with how the bitch had rendered her clothes useless with the wind blades yet still deemed it appropriate to drag her naked from across the sky like some sort of side show. Now was she not only embarrassed, Kagome was freezing as she laid on the icy slab of stone that was the cave floor.

Crimson eyes smiled down at her as her body shivered uncontrollably, a delighted light making the demonic stare gleam in satisfaction over the human's discomfort. It took everything in Kagome to not shudder at the similarity between those eyes and the eyes of the demoness' master, Naraku. It was a sick and twisted type of stare that made the victim of their interest's stomach twist and knot in fear as well as disgust.

"What do you want, Kagura?" Kagome used what little amount of energy she had to brace herself on to her knees. This whole ordeal would be over rather quickly with the miko's budding powers, but Naraku always planned well and managed to find manacles that were able to suppress reiki. It was because of those shackles that the miko couldn't use her reiki to heal the wounds on her back, allowing her ruby life force to slowly continue its escape from her body. This left the miko pale and weak, and with her hands bound behind her back, Kagome felt completely exposed before the older onna's hateful glare.

"None of this is what _I_ want, you little whore. It is what _he_ wants." Kagura growled down at the little bitch. Oh, she played her part well. Had always seemed so innocent, but when she found the onna in the hot springs her actions were far from pure. No, the little slut was putting on a show for a very noble audience. The crevice inside the youkai where she lacked a heart filled with undeniable rage and disgust at the creature below her. She had never known how lowly and crafty the manipulative little thing truly was.

"He? As in Naraku? Naraku wants me?" The horror drained the little remaining color Kagome had in her face. She was on her way to Naraku and she was to be delivered like _this_? "Why? What more could he possibly want!" Kagome's frustration came forth in the form of tears as she spit her question out at the vile hanyou's incarnation. Her petite frame shook with fear and anger and the earlier loss of blood was making Kagome dizzy, but she was snapped out of it rather quickly.

"Silence!" Kagura hissed as she flashed directly before the miko's trembling body and backhanded the defenseless onna with her folded fan. The force of the blow knocked Kagome to the ground with a painful cry and her head hit the ground hard, disorientating her. It took a few moments to reorient herself, but a small whimper still fell from the miko's lips. She wanted to be strong but it hurt so damn much. Gritting her teeth, however, the miko resumed as defiant a position she could as she knelt on the floor and glared back at the witch.

Kagura had watched the whole thing with obvious disdain. The wind youkai would like nothing more than to paint the walls with the whore's blood, but Naraku had made it explicitly clear that the miko was needed alive. Such a troublesome technicality, but that didn't mean the venomous viper didn't have other ways of torturing her pray. She was Naraku's incarnation, after all.

"Yes, Naraku wants you, and I am going to deliver you just as you are." A cruel smile pulled at Kagura's blood red lips as her eyes narrowed down at the miko before her. "Perhaps I shall tell him of your display in the springs? Hmm, maybe he will request from you," Kagura used the side of her fan to caress the cheek she had struck earlier, making Kagome wince. "an encore performance?" The sickly sweet way in which Kagura could speak of such a disgusting thing made Kagome's stomach roll. Wait, the hot springs?

"You were watching!" Kagome couldn't help the mortified outrage that filled her cheeks with a faint heat. Could a girl not get a second of privacy in this damn era?

Kagura shrugged as she let the fan slide down between the valley of the miko's breasts. An bitter smile slithering across her face. "Oh, yes, and though the show was not to my taste. A certain someone sure did enjoy your perverse display." Kagura let the hatred in her tone apparent. How could this little creature, this filthy human, enrapture the Western Lord so much so that the dog demon did not sense Kagura's presence at the springs. He was so fixated on the slut that his golden eyes didn't even flicker in her direction as she came upon the two, he didn't even acknowledge her presence before leaving.

"Naraku saw me mas…He watched me in the springs?" The dread and revulsion the miko experienced under her misunderstanding caused the young onna to wretch and convulse. The knowledge that such a being had been watching her when she was like _that, _and that he enjoyed it, made heart wrenching sobs tear from Kagome's chest. "No. No. NO!" The miko wailed as her forehead hit the floor, body shivering nonstop.

The wind witch watched and allowed the human whore her misunderstanding. Kagura couldn't understand how this human onna had bewitched Sesshomaru, but she was determined to find out. Could it be a part of how the two overcame the Love Fulfillment spell? Was there a new spell? If so, Kagura would be doing a service to the demon lord by ridding him of the miko. In her death, she will be setting him free, and then the honor bound youkai would seek Naraku's death to free Kagura in return. Then they would both be free…together.

At the thought of her own freedom and the possibility of pleasing the Western Lord, Kagura chose to ignore her creator's orders. A pale wrist flicked her fan open with an audible snap, but the miko was so consumed with her own despair that the threat went unacknowledged.

Raising the deadly instrument of femininity above her head, Kagura's eyes began to glow with the hatred and a hiss was her only warning before ending the worthless human's life. "He deserves better than a human whore like you!"

As teary blue eyes rose in panic due to the surge in youki around her, Kagome watched as previously nonexistent wind began to stir in the cave and a crimson light exuded from the fan's edge. As her arm began its decent, the miko closed her eyes in resignation.

A loud snap echoed within the halls of the cave, and a soft breeze blew across the miko's frozen cheek. The sensation startled her as the wind Kagome expected to feel was supposed to be a little more _biting_.

The young miko slowly opened her eyes and in contrast to the dark of the night stood a heavenly vision in white. "Sesshomaru." The emotion that filled that one word was indescribable, both for the miko who said it and the demon who heard it, but a feeling of unparalleled safety filled the miko's battered body as waves of soothing youki licked at her skin. The last thing Kagome noticed before her mind succumbed to unconsciousness was that her savior's eyes were not their usual gold but bloody red.

* * *

A heavy silence filled the room as Sesshomaru watched the miko's bloodied form slump to the ground. An anger like no other began to burn in the depths of the inu's frozen heart as glowing red eyes assessed the onna's condition. Thin lacerations raked across the miko's bare back and silver shackles glowed with a grisly blackish purple light as they restrained the miko's delicate wrists.

Those must be suppressing her healing abilities, Sesshomaru quickly deduced, but what angered him more than anything was the state of the miko's face. A bruised cheek laid in stark contrast to the near deathly paler of the onna's skin and dried blood clung to a busted lip. The strike was excessive and obviously done after the onna was captured, and the knowledge that the miko had been beaten while naked and defenseless had Sesshomaru's beast feeling down right murderous.

A menacing glare fell on the onna responsible for the miko's abuse and a deep, threatening snarl emanated from the beast's throat. All the beast wanted to do was dig his claws into the wench and tear her piece to bloody piece with his claws. Taking his time to shred her skin to ribbons just like she had done to the miko's clothing, but the inu's instincts were too strong to ignore. His intended was hurting and she needed him.

Not paying any attention to the wind bitch except to snap his fangs in her general direction, Sesshomaru glided across the cave floor until he was kneeling in front of his mate-to-be.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagura began hesitantly. The wind youkai had never seen the inu lord so openly volatile and the weight of his youki alone was suffocating her, but the arrogant bitch's pride couldn't handle being so thoroughly ignored by the man she desired.

The sound of his name coming from the lips of such a worthless creature incited the already irate youkai into action. With a flick of his own wrist and without even turning his head, the youkai expertly lashed at the brazen wench behind him with his poison whip. A cruel smile of satisfaction taking hold of the beast's lips as he heard the wench's painful cry and the smell of her rotten blood filled his nose. _There, now she shall forever have a scar on the same cheek she struck our mate. _

With the utmost care, Sesshomaru continued reaching for the miko. First, the demon lord used the fingers already glowing green to drip some corrosive youki onto the harsh metal that bound the onna. It sizzled and popped as the youki melted the metal away, allowing the miko's thin arms to fall limply to her sides. Once that was done, Mokomoko-sama slipped from the inu's shoulders of its own accord to wrap around the miko's shivering frame while the inu scooped the tiny creature into his arms. A small whimper at the sudden movement, no matter how gentle, had the inu's rage resurfacing.

Concern clashed with the desire for revenge, but in the end concern for the miko's well being won out. Turning on his heel, Sesshomaru finally acknowledged the demoness staring at him. She had fallen to her knees in shock at being struck and there she remained, holding the deep gauge in her cheek in a pathetic attempt to stop the bleeding. Crimson eyes narrowed in her direction as the Western Lord sent her an icy glare that could freeze the sun.

**"****Wench,"** The deep growl caught Kagura off guard as she realized the demon lord's beast was in control. It was only this realization that kept the usually defiant demoness' mouth sealed as she waited for the beast to continue. Damn her pride, she still wanted to live.

**"****If you ever lay hands on our miko again,"** A flash of white and before Kagura knew what was happening the merciless demon lord was standing over her, foot poised to crush her skull. **"We will crush you under the heel of our boot like the worthless vermin you are." **The threat was made clear as a powerful leg surged forward. Kagura released a petrified scream as the demon's booted heel crashed less than an inch away from the onna's skull, showering her in rubble and debris.

In a languid motion, Sesshomaru lowered his foot back to the ground as the demoness trembled before him. Message delivered, the beast turned to exit the cave as he held his little miko protectively to his chest, ever careful of his armor. **"Oh,"** the inu paused for a mere second at the mouth of the cave, **"and the threat extends to the pathetic fool you call master as well." **That was the sinister promise Kagura was left with as Sesshomaru vanished from sight.

* * *

The first thing Kagome noticed when she came to was that she was resting on a cloud. Her body was sore and the temptation to just sink into the heavenly comfort was too much as the miko's body sagged further into the fluffy material. It was soft to the touch and warm on her naked flesh. Wait, why was she naked? That thought had the miko's groggy mind beginning to turn as she struggled to remember how to open her eyes. She didn't have to struggle long, however, as the feeling of something warm and wet trailing up her spine had the young onna's eyes flashing open. Pushing herself on to her arms, Kagome prepared to turn around and face whatever or whomever was touching her, but before she could do anything her body was being gently pushed back down to the inviting warmth that laid beneath her.

**"****Stay." **The low grumble wasn't frightening to Kagome for some unknown reason, but it was surprising. Another long stoke of something wet along her back had the miko turning her neck to the side in an attempt to see her new captive. What she saw shocked her.

Kagome was once again outside, naked she noted in annoyance, and crouched over her naked from was a red eyed demon lord. Silver strands of his silky hair fluttered on the breeze as his head rose from his task of, what was he doing? The innocent miko watched in fascinated horror as the big demon retreated back to place his tongue at the bace of her spine before making a leisurely trail back up to her shoulders, his glowing red eyes never leaving hers.

"Eep! Sesshomaru what are you doing?" Kagome yelped as she tried once again to turn around and defend her exposed back, not that exposing her front was much better, but again her attempt was thwarted by a large, warm hand pinning her shoulder down.

**"****Stay."** The beast commanded again in a slightly more authoritative tone. The beast was not used to being completely in control and when it wasn't to deliver threats the beast was at a loss for what to say. He didn't want to scare the onna but she needed to stay still in order to be healed.

**"****Mate injured. We heal you. Stay still."** The blunt sentences sounded reasonable enough to the demon dog's ears as he leaned down once again to lick away one of the last cuts marring their mate's beautiful skin. The whole situation was unforgivable, but it had allowed the beast to escape the confines of his infernal cage AND allowed them to taste the miko's delicious blood. That was something the beast wouldn't complain about.

A deep thrum rumbled from the inu's chest as he licked away the final trace of injury to the miko's back. It was bittersweet as the inu desired more of the miko. To taste the intoxicating ambrosia that was her skin, her blood, his miko. Licking his lips, the demon trailed a claw down the onna's naked back, relishing in the shiver it caused her. Yet, the miko's form had gone stiff. Was she afraid of him?

"Mate?" The word was only a breath, but the demon heard her. It was true his other half hadn't made their intentions clear to the miko about the mating, but the beast didn't care. He knew that this onna was the only onna for them. The only one they would ever desire.

**"****Hmm, yes?"** The cheeky beast responded as the massive form of the inu lord lowered on top of her and began nuzzling her neck.

Kagome couldn't breath as her heart and lungs were racing to see who could shut down the fastest. This was Sesshomaru, right? It was but it wasn't, the miko knew that. Sango had warned her long ago that in times of emotional, physical, or spiritual distress a youkai's beast could take over. Was this what had happened to Sesshomaru? If it was, why in the hell did his beast call her mate?!

Taking a deep breath, Kagome tried to calm down. It wasn't wise angering the normal Sesshomaru, she could only imagine the pain and suffering that awaited the fool who challenged his beast.

"Sesshomaru?" A deep purr by her ear was all Kagome got for an answer. Huffing to herself at her ability to escape one dangerous situation only to be tossed into another, the miko decided to go for a more direct approach.

"Beast?" Kagome's voice was firm but she made sure to keep all traces of aggression out of her tone. She needed the beast calm if she was going to get any answers.

Being called by 'name,' the beast stopped nuzzling and rose on to his elbows to look down at the little onna beneath him. He liked the sight. A head crowned in silver tilted to the side as a fanged smile spread across the daiyoukai's face. **"Yes, little mate?"**

A clawed finger came to brush a stray lock of hair behind the miko's ear before trailing down her neck only to stop at her shoulder. The contact was so strangely intimate that Kagome felt a wave of heat roll down her spine as a blush flooded her cheeks.

"Um, I have a few questions." Kagome started falteringly. Looking up at the demon had been a big mistake, his smile was positively sinful as he gazed at her and the not-so hidden desire in his crimson eyes left the onna feeling all hot and bothered. "But first, can you hand me my clothes?"

The miko was positively mortified by having to ask for something as blatantly obvious as clothing, but the beast just looked back at her in confusion. **"We like mate like this." **

Kagome wasn't sure but she could have sworn the big dog was pouting at her. Wasn't wanting to be clothed normal? Who cares if the big brute preferred her naked (even if that notion did give a small boost to the onna's womanly pride).

Huffing, the miko turned on her newly healed back while clutching her fur bed to her body in order to retain some level of modesty. "Listen, Beast. I don't know about youkai, but human's like to be clothed when outside so give me my clothes!" Kagome's embarrassment was turning into irritation as she looked up at the beast, but she saw her aggressive tone was not going over well.

Crimson eyes flashed at the demand and fangs barred slightly at the tone his onna was taking, but before things could get to out of hand the miko tried a more humble approach.

"Please," She whispered quickly, sensing the rise in the youkai's anger. "Please." Is all she could think to say. Being subservient wasn't in Kagome's nature, but it seemed that was what worked best with the beast.

The big dog hugged before leaning back fully so that he rested on his knees and began to untie his haori. Blue eyes widened as she saw the beast selflessly shed Sesshomaru's clothing for her use(and she tried desperately not to stare at the toned torso the lack of clothing revealed). The offer was sweet, but it also turned the miko's blood cold when she thought about how the daiyoukai would react once he returned to his senses.

As if sensing her desire to refuse, the beast released a low growl as he pushed the silky fabric into the onna's hands. Kagome gulped down her objection then as she saw the stubborn frown pulling down on the inu's lips.

"Thank you," Kagome whispered as she clutched the smooth fabric to her and waited, and waited, and… "Could you turn around, please?" The miko was getting miffed at the inu's complete lack of social etiquette, but she didn't want the big beast snapping at her so she tried to ask nicely.

That damn silver brow rose as per usual, but instead of accompanying the typical stoic mask it was paired with a big, fanged lecherous smile. **"Why?"**

_Oh, you know why you big horn dog! _The miko's delicate features scrunched up into a scowl as she lost her patience. In her defense, it had been a long night. "You know _why._ Now, turn!" Kagome released an impressive growl of her own as she aggressively pointed her finger in the opposite direction, the direction she wished the inu to face. A moment of silence passed and the miko thought she was done for, but to her surprise the big inu merely chuckled before turning around.

He _chuckled_? The deadly, arrogant, Mr. I-Kill-You-Just-For-Breathing Western Lord just chuckled. The rarity of the moment might have hit the miko if it weren't for how that simple chuckle was affecting her. A dark and silky sound of pure masculinity, and as it fell on Kagome's ears a heat began to build in the pit of her stomach. She so wanted to hear that sound again, maybe right next to her ear…

No! Kagome shook her head frantically as she quickly pulled the flowing silk around her. Plunging her arms into the seemingly endless sleeves, the miko was eventually able to rediscover her hands and use them to situate the much too large clothing so nothing was left exposed. It goes without saying that the demon lord's clothing swallowed her. White silk flowed from her neck down to right above the onna's knees. The ties were useless as they left the garment open like two church doors, so Kagome had no choice but the wrap herself as tightly as possible before crossing her arms under her chest to keep the clothes in place.

Hearing the end to her rustling and gripping, the daiyoukai apparently assumed the miko was done changing and turned without asking. What greeted him was a delicious sight, perhaps even more so than seeing the miko naked, as he had already been granted that view before. Now, the petite onna was wrapped snuggly in his clothing. The vision she made was both provocative and extremely gratifying. Sesshomaru would have never considered shedding his own clothing for anyone, no matter the circumstances, in all his long years on this earth, but if it was his intended, his little miko, he could make an exception. If it always led to this same overwhelming sense of pride, even Sesshomaru would have no complaints.

A low growl of pleasure escaped the beast's throat after appraising his little mate, and he didn't miss that the onna flinched back at the sound. She was fearful of him, or at the very least uncomfortable around him. The beast would have to fix that.

Two clawed hands reached forward to grab the miko. Blue eyes bulged out of their sockets as the inu spun around so his back could lean against a tree while he held the onna in his lap. This all happened in less than a second and Kagome wondered briefly if the action had given her whiplash. When her moment of confusion ended, the miko's indignation was raging like an inferno.

"What do you think you're doing!" Kagome screeched and the dog flinched as the pitch of her voice pierced his sensitive ears. Growling at the display of resistance, the inu leaned his silver head down before nipping at the onna's ear as punishment. He didn't bite hard, and the beast made sure to give a soothing lick to the area to make sure the onna knew he wasn't truly angry.

Of course, none of this 'inu language' was transferred to the miko as she yelped at the bite to her ear before shivering as the beast's heated tongue lapped a wet line along the ridge of her ear.

"Mhm," Kagome's face blazed anew at the sound she had made. She hoped that it hadn't caught the attention of her new captive, but as was her luck, of course it did.

The big dog leaned back slightly, just enough so glowing crimson could catch sight of sparkling blue and smirked. The sound the miko had made greatly pleased the beast, and he rewarded her by nuzzling his nose into the crook of her neck. Soft strands of the deepest ebony he had ever known caressed his face and cheek as the beast burrowed his way down to find her delicate skin. A low rumbling sound began in the inu's chest as the tantalizing skin above the miko's pulse point laid before him. His nose nudged away the black tresses completely so the beast could scent the pale expanse of her neck without interruptions. Gliding down from jaw to shoulder, the beast breathed in the onna's unique scent of jasmine and green tea. The scent should have been comforting, but when exuded from the miko's creamy skin it was positively mouthwatering. Again, the inu ran the flat of his tongue along the miko's skin. From shoulder to jaw, the beast licked her and a wicked smile played around his lips as he heard his female gasp.

"What are you doing!" Kagome asked again, but this time it was more of yelp than a shriek. Her tiny hands released their death grip on his haori and moved to push the demon back, and she was only successful because the inu lord complied with her wish. Leaning back, the silver inu rested against the bark of the tree as two hands pushed down on his naked shoulders, apparently trying to keep him at bay. A thought that made the beast's smile grow and his red eyes dance with mirth.

**"****What, little mate? Did you not like it?"** The growl sounded more like a sensual purr as a clawed hand came up to brush the bulk of the onna's midnight tresses behind her shoulder, exposing her neck to him.

The blush on Kagome's face was practically burning her, but she pushed through her embarrassment. "No, I didn't." The miko's voice sounded fierce but her bravado dwindled the longer those hypnotizing eyes stared at her.

**"****Hmm," **The beast seemed to contemplate her words for less than a second before another chuckle fell from his lips. Crimson eyes caressed her form as she sat in his lap, and the beast happily noted the miko's determination to keep him 'pinned' to the tree allowed him a spectacular view of her cleavage as his haori slowly slid open. Looking back up at her face and seeing the angry pout on such pretty lips, the beast felt, once again, that fate had chosen them the perfect onna. They would certainly never be bored. **"Don't lie to us, little mate. We can tell." **

A gently claw raked up the side of the miko's exposed neck and the inu delighted as the miko's rising arousal spiced the air. Hesitant eyes fixed on him, as that same clawed hand cupped her cheek. She was wary of him, but even the miko couldn't deny how that deadly claw along her skin fed the burning flame in her stomach.

"I, I…" Biting her lip in her hesitancy, Kagome flinched. Both the inu and miko noticed once more that Kagura's bitch slap had split the pretty onna's lip open, and Kagome groaned at the memory. Of course she could heal it, but that didn't mean the wound didn't hurting.

A second hand came up to cage the miko's head between strong fingers. Startled, Kagome looked up to see an irritated inu. What had she done now?

**"****Mate's in pain. We heal you."** The angry grumble stunned the miko for a moment. Heal? Like what he did with her back? Oh, no, not gonna happen.

"Wait!" Kagome squealed. She had realized what the dog had planned right as that damn beast had leaned forward to lick her busted lip. The miko's face scrunched up in pain as the now familiar sensation of the beast's tongue lapped at her wound.

At first, all the inu did was lavish her bruised flesh with his attentions. Kagome kept her lips and eyes sealed shut as she waited for the beast to finish his task, but before long the miko realized the big dog had no intention of stopping there.

As the inu cleaned the last remnant of blood from the miko's previously wounded lip, soft lips brushed against the miko's. A gentle pressure began to start in the onna's chest as she realized Sesshomaru was no longer healing her but kissing her.

The sensation was so different from the last time the demon lord had assaulted her. The lips molding to hers were warm and tender as they coaxed the miko into joining in their forbidden dance, and it wasn't long before Kagome lost herself to the sweet sensation and began kissing the demon back.

The miko could feel a pleased rumble begin in the demon lord's chest under her hands as her lips became pliant underneath the daiyoukai's ministrations. Like a slow burn, the kiss continued.

After the miko responded to his advances, the inu became steadily more aggressive, reveling in the taste of their onna's willing submission. His tongue followed along the seam of his little mate's lips incessantly, begging for entrance, and after a few seconds the miko lost herself to the heat and parted her lips for him.

Lips parted, the fire was allowed the oxygen it needed to consume. Tongues battled for dominance, both trying to lead the sensual waltz, but in her inexperience Kagome was quickly overpowered as the inu's tongue tasted every inch of her moist mouth. However, the miko was not one to be bested easily.

As the kiss deepened, Kagome's tiny hands slid up the inu's strong neck to bury her fist in the silken river of Sesshomaru's hair. She moaned out loud upon contact with the impossibly soft strands winding around her fingers and when she used her human nails to scratch the daiyoukai's scalp Sesshomaru groaned in return.

Spurred on by the miko's actions, the inu detached himself from the miko's delectable mouth to move to her neck. Pulling the onna more securely onto his lap and forcing her to straddle him in the process, the beast nipped at the delicate skin of the onna's throat. As he levied his assault against her neck, two claws roamed the miko's womanly form.

One hand followed the sensual curve of the miko's back, starting at the nape of her neck before trailing his claws down to cup her firm backside. The other hand was decidedly more naughty as it played along the skin of the miko's collarbone before disappearing into the depths of the gaping haori to grasp at the miko's full breast.

"Ah, Sesshomaru, wait!" Kagome moaned before panting out her plea. This was getting out of hand. The pleasurable sensations were already mounting her arousal and the miko distinctly felt when the heat began to move towards her core.

A clawed hand palmed the womanly mound, flicking the budding rose of the miko's nipple before thumb and index finger clamped down on the bead and began to tweak and pull.

"Ahn!" Kagome's sultry moan was cut off as the beast moved back to claim her succulent lips. Once again, tongues dueled a fierce battle for dominance and the onna could feel a smirk beneath her parted lips. The demon apparently found it amusing that the onna thought she could best him. In an attempt to show the cocky demon he wasn't the only one who knew how to play, Kagome took a risk. As the demon lord attempted to pull back and look at her, the miko followed his movements and delivered a decisive lick to one of the demon's protruding fangs.

The inu youkai trembled at the sensation of his sensitive fangs being licked and a groan of a growl told the onna of his approval for such a daring action. Crimson eyes opened to see the miko panting in his lap. The sight of her in such a disheveled state made his throbbing member become a full blown that moment, the demon wanted nothing more than to claim the onna like the alpha bitch she was.

Letting go of her breast, and ignoring the mewl of disappointment from his miko, the beast began to move towards the miko's core. The demon could already smell how much she wanted him, now he needed to feel it. To let her arousal coat his fingers before he tasted her need for him.

Crimson glowed in anticipation, but before his hand could reach the hidden treasure before him, two tiny hands were gripping his wrist.

"Wait, Sesshomaru. No." Kagome tried to catch her breath. This had been the most stimulating experience the young onna had ever had in her short time on this earth, but no matter the feelings raging inside her, Kagome couldn't do this. At least, not when Sesshomaru wasn't himself and the miko didn't know the demon lord's feelings. This had to end. Now.

The beast didn't like being stopped, but he assumed his onna was just nervous. Trying to sooth her, the inu leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek against her own. **"It's ok, mate. I will be gentle." **A soft kiss to her lips and the hand pushed a little against the miko's hold, but Kagome didn't let go.

"No." Kagome spoke firmly this time as her head was now clear, but the demon still didn't realize how serious the miko was. A gentle smile and a comforting growl was his response as clawed fingers drew ever nearer to her center.

Now, this was foolish, Kagome knew that, but she hated how the beast wasn't listening to her. She may come to regret it, but she knew one way to make the damn beast realize just how serious she was.

"I said no!" Kagome shouted as her hands released the demon's wrist to push against his shoulders, shooting a pulse of reiki right through the demon's skin. A sharp snarl, the sound of teeth snapping together, and Kagome's hands being shackled by one large claw foretold of the miko's fate. Or so she thought.

"Miko," her title cut through the silence as it spilled from the daiyoukai's lips like a pant. He grasped Kagome's still glowing fingers, his hold firm yet gentle. "Next time, if you do not wish to be devoured" Sesshomaru locked his still hungry gaze on the onna in his arms, and Kagome noticed the bloody crimson color had begun to drain away as gold seeped back in making his eyes a burnt copper. "This one suggests your response be less… encouraging." A devilish smirk glinted in the night before the daiyoukai's stoic facade fell back in place, and Kagome swore her heart skipped a beat when molten gold fixed on her once more.

A fiery blush painted the onna's skin as she leaned back to readjust the demon lord's haori over her person. She was embarrassed for needing the reminder at all, but a deep part of her knew her actions warranted the warning. After the first few seconds of the beast's actions, she hadn't been particularly discouraging, now had she.

"Sorry." As for what she was apologizing for, Kagome wasn't 100% sure. That the demon needed to come save her from Kagura? That she hadn't resisted his beast's actions? That she had touched his royal person? Kissed him even? The miko didn't know which of these transgressions would make the demon angry enough to kill her, but she knew all of them had the potential.

Golden eyes watched as the miko's scent became riddled with anxiety and regret. What was it now? The miko always seemed upset by something in his presence. Was she angry that his beast had finally claimed her as their intended? Embarrassed because of their current position? Or was the onna regretful that she had touched a monster such as him in the first place? Succumbed to the temptation and indulged in the sin that was a miko and youkai fornication? Sesshomaru hoped it wasn't the last one because if the plan was to work and they were to mate, a lot more _fornication_ would be necessary. Merely for the sake of ridding them both of the spell, of course. Not because one such as Sesshomaru wanted the miko as a mate or bed partner for that matter. Of course not.

"Hn." Sesshomaru's monotone reply dismissed the miko's apology. The notion that the miko regretted what had transpired between them bothered the inu for some untold reason, and his mood soured at the possibility the onna was rejecting him. Her arousal still hung in the air but now the demon knew, the miko was one of the few who would not let lust dictate her. No matter how attracted the little miko may be to his person, she would not give over her body until one has won her heart. Great.

"Let us return. Your companions will be missing you." Sesshomaru stood and quickly dawned his armor before reaching down to the miko without even looking at her, causing the scent of sorrow and regret to thicken. _He can't even look at me._

"Okay." The word tumbled out of her mouth and Kagome couldn't hold back a few stray tears that spilled from her watery gaze. She knew he might be angry, but this aloof distance the demon was exhibiting reminded Kagome of how Sesshomaru used to be. A human hating, cold-hearted daiyoukai who would never willingly associate with someone like her. A human onna. A human miko. Kagome could only imaging the repulsion the proud lord was feeling after having consorted with one such as herself. It probably disgusted him that she now wore his clothes or that he had to touch her in order to get them home, but he was an honor bound youkai if anything. Sesshomaru would do his duty, no matter how much he hated it.

A strong arm wound around her waist and pulled the miko to the inu's side. Now that he wore his armor, the demon couldn't pull the females body in as close as he would have liked. To play it safe, he kept a fair distance between the two of them. This gap, though aggravating to the daiyoukai, would allow the onna to settle her emotions and hopefully give her the space needed to calm down. If only Sesshomaru knew that by leaving that tiny space between them instead of holding her close like he desired, the clueless youkai was distancing himself from the miko's heart as well as her body.

* * *

**AN: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! They have continued to motivate me and I appreciate every single one of you that took the time to let me know your thoughts on the story. A few of you have made some inquires about a certain wolf making an appearance. All I have to say on that matter is I hope you keep reading ;) I hope you enjoy what is to come regardless. **

**Thank you for continuing reading this story. I am sorry for the wait, but as some of you may know I am currently working on more than one story. I won't be adding any more side projects though, and this story is my main focus. As always, please leave a review if you have the time so I can hear your thoughts! **


	9. The Love Spell: Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha **

**Secondly, an actual disclaimer, the following chapter has a brief description of sexual assault. It is not graphic, but please be warned and proceed of your own volition. **

* * *

"You worthless bitch!" Naraku howled as he cracked a demonic tentacle against Kagura's bloodied back. The stone walls of her personal torture chamber had echoed with her agonized screams in the beginning but now they could barely catch the whispered whimpers that fell from Kagura's ruby lips— the pitiful sound a plea for death more than anything else.

The vile hanyou had been beating the wind youkai for hours in the confines of his hideaway. His own distorted flesh tearing into the flesh of his own incarnation, repeatedly. Naraku was beyond livid. He had sent the wench to do one thing. One tiny, infinitesimal task that a child should have been able to accomplish. Abduct a miko, how hard was that? Now, instead of a miko, he had a silent and mutinous wind witch who refused to answer any of his questions!

"Answer me, Wench. How did the miko escape you?" Rage filled the hanyou's sore muscles as he lashed out again and again at the thin body he had bound before him. Her arms that were chained to opposite walls were not spared his wrath and had been whipped to the bone, literally, and her gaping wounds allowed blood to pool around Kagura's naked form. Her bloodied essence only rivaled by the glowing crimson eyes of her 'master' as they glowered at her nearly lifeless shell of a body.

Yet, Kagura remained silent. Red eyes closed in resignation to her fate as her conviction settled deep within her soul. From this day onward, she would not be used. Kagura decided the moment Sesshomaru left her in the cave that it had been the last time she would willing allow herself to be used as a disposable tool for the sake of her detestable creator. Naraku still had her heart, but Sesshomaru, her only hope and secret desire, had already denied her so what was the point? What was the point in a life without love? There was no will to live in the hollow hearted demoness anymore, so for her last act of defiance Kagura remained silent about her encounter with the Western Lord and _his_ miko.

A shriek of utter fury filled the cold palace halls as Naraku pushed back thick, wavy locks of ink black hair out of his face in frustration, paying no heed to how his entire form was splattered with the onna's blood and such an action only caused the vicious life liquid to be smeared on his face like a madman before the damp bangs feel back in his face. The hanyou's tentacles slowly retreated from Kagura's battered body as he took in deep, calming breaths. It was not like him to lose control of his anger, no, he preferred to taunt and tease rather than yell and shout, but the onna's actions were so beyond Naraku's ability to comprehend that his anger spilled forth in waves. Why wouldn't she talk? The only thing the bitch had ever wanted was her damn heart, which Naraku still held in his hands, so what could be so powerful to make Kagura give everything up? She had to know that defying him now would not be forgiven like her past transgressions, so what could it be?

Naraku's train of thought was derailed as a knock reverberated against the thick metal door. "Enter." The emotionless voice was almost part of the darkness as it seeped along the shadows, but the visitor still heard and obeyed. Light slithered in as the heavy metal opened but it brought no warmth into the freezing room.

"Hmm, little sister seems to have misbehaved again?" Byakuya's painted lips split in an amused smirk. Neither the wind sorceress or Naraku deigned to answer him but that did not put a damper on the dream demon's mood. He had good news to share with his lord and he was sure to be praised for doing so. The effeminate male hummed as he sauntered over to Naraku's side as if he was not waltzing into a room recently repainted in blood. No, instead of the customary disgust normal people would have to such a scene, Byakuya's deep purple gaze settled over the grisly display like he was appraising a fine piece of art. It wasn't until Naraku's narrowed glare caught the demon's attention that Byakuya tore his gaze away from his 'sisters' bleeding form. Bowing low and kneeling in the pool of blood by Naraku's feet, Byakuya greeted his master.

"For what reason do you interrupt me, Byakuya? Do you plan to intercede on account of your elder sibling?" A flash of amusement passed between the two males as they sensed Kagura's disgust at their exchange.

"Of course not, Naraku-sama. I believe punishment for one's failures should be engraved upon the skin of their backs, a belief I seem to have inherited from my master." The dream demon chuckled behind his raised sleeve as purple eyes swept over Kagura's back once more before returning his gaze to Naraku. "No, Master. I have something of much greater importance to discuss than the wind witch's betrayal."

"Oh?" A thick black brow rose to hide behind bloodied bangs. What could be so important that Byakuya, his most trusted incarnation, would dare interrupt him? He didn't have long to wonder as the male leaned in to his master's body just inches away from touching and breathed the 'good news' into Naraku's ear.

Maniacal laughter cut through the cells' suffocating silence and Kagura, who was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, and even the ever faithful Byakuya shuddered at the madness that the cackling contained. Heavy footfalls splashed and sloshed through the puddles of blood on the floor until a clawed hand was close enough to dive into Kagura's matted hair, nearly pulling it out as Naraku yanked back. A triumphant sneer was all Kagura could see as she blinked at the face of her torturer, trying to keep the black out of her vision. However, the haunting words that slid past his sick lips sunk deep in to her mind before she fell deep into the sweet abyss of darkness.

"Your resistance is futile, bitch. For I have just won."

* * *

As they flew across the night sky, Sesshomaru was acutely aware of the trembling onna by his side. The miko had spoken not a single word since their ascent in to the heavens, and that alone was strange, but so was this overwhelming sense of dread that filled the daiyoukai the longer they flew. Sesshomaru was a fearless leader, the Killing Perfection, and he had not known fear a day in his life, but for some reason such a strong emotional rejection from the onna was making the inu experience faint, yet undeniable, flickers of the foreign emotion.

Doubt began to creep into his mind as the miko continued to shake and the smell of tears filled his nose despite the strong wind. Why was she so distraught? Could a simple kiss and a little fondling result in him losing all the progress he had made with the onna? What if his plan to court the miko fails due to the actions of this one night? The final thought made Sesshomaru's beast howl in defiance, voicing his refusal to accept the night as a definitive loss, and Sesshomaru had to agree. The daiyoukai had already gotten used to the idea of taking the miko as his mate, he had even come to covet her for her power, and Sesshomaru refused to have a single human onna be the reason the esteemed daiyoukai suffered his first bitter taste of defeat. No, he would not give up on mating the miko.

If anything, Sesshomaru was even more determined to revitalize his efforts in courting the female and proving to her how worthy of a mate he could be. Plus, the mating was a sure way to rid them both of the spell's troublesome effects, and that was a factor the demon lord could not afford to dismiss. The only issue now was to figure out how to come back from this obvious set back…

"Miko." Sesshomaru slowed his youki cloud so that the wind was no longer deafening. When a few moments passed without answer, Sesshomaru decided to try again. "Miko?" Again, no answer. The daiyoukai would have worried the female had gone deaf it it weren't for the bothersome fact that the onna's small frame had stiffened under his arm each time he called her. Thinking she still needed time to recover, and accounting for the fact that there was no time to discuss her obvious discomfort at the moment, Sesshomaru persevered. "We shall be landing in a few moments. Prepare for the descent."

A faint 'hn' made it to his ears and the corners of Sesshomaru's mouth twitched, albeit ruefully. It was rather amusing that the demon currently felt the farthest he had ever been from the miko since joining her pack yet she was copying his mannerisms. Her trembling began to slow once he told her they were almost back to camp, and Sesshomaru assumed it was because she was trying to collect herself before facing her pack. There it was again. Something bothered the Inu Lord whenever he thought about it being 'her' pack or his half-breed brother's pack. The words didn't sound right and it left an uncomfortable feeling in the dog's chest. What could that mean?

Unfortunately, Sesshomaru had no time to ruminate on his confusing feelings as the pair slowly descended to the earth. They wouldn't know it, but their companions watched in awe as they floated down from the sky. Both scantily clad in white silk, Sesshomaru in his hakama and Kagome wearing the demon lord's traditional garb as a dress, the pair looked like celestial deities as their feet rested upon Sesshomaru's rippling youki cloud. A silver haired god descending from the heavens with a raven haired angel by his side, at least, that is what the image looked like from below.

The moment ended, however, as soon as their feet hit the ground and the obviously distraught mortal onna wrenched herself free from the daiyoukai's side to fling herself into a confused hanyou's arms.

* * *

"Inuyasha," Kagome wailed as she propelled herself away from the source of her shame and into her best friend's arms. No matter what happened between the two of them, Kagome would always see Inuyasha as someone important to her. He had been her first love and first heartbreak, that was true, but he was so much more than that. The hanyou was Kagome's first friend in this hostile era, her protector against all things dark and evil, and he would always be a source of comfort and stability to the emotional miko. He was her rock, and though her love may be more familial now, she would always love him and need him in her life.

This notion was reaffirmed as all the past months of hardship and bickering faded away as Inuyasha held her against his chest in a protective embrace. He was confused, for sure, but still responsive as strong arms wrapped around the weeping miko's waist and, in a rare moment of tenderness, Inuyasha had the presence of mind to start stroking Kagome's hair and whisper calming words into her ear—surprising all as the hanyou had never been good at physical displays of emotion. His attentions were so unexpected that Kagome had no defenses against them, who could have predicted Inuyasha having an emotional growth spurt over night? A new wave of tears trailed the miko's reddened cheeks as she buried her face into the younger inu's shoulder.

As the onna continued to cry, heated amber clashed with scorching gold, both males raging for different reasons. "What did you do to her?" Inuyasha demanded as he held Kagome closer to him. Yeah, he didn't have a choice in asking his older bastard of a half-brother for help in getting her back, but if she was going to come back like this then Inuyasha should have found another way. Hell, he would even consider going to get that mangy wolf to find her before he let his brother hurt her. Kagome was too warm, too kind, to handle his cold-hearted half-sibling, and it killed him that this spell was forcing the icicle ass on her while there was nothing he could do about it.

"This one knows not of what you speak, Half-breed." The words tumbled out of the daiyoukai's mouth in the form of a growl, red trying to seep into his golden eyes. How dare the mutt accuse him of hurting the miko. Sesshomaru had done what the whelp could not due to his own short comings, yet the boy had the audacity to confront him while holding his miko.

"Don't play dumb you bastard. Why is she crying?" Inuyasha's teeth gnashed together at Sesshomaru's stone facade. It was really pissing him off that he could look so unbothered as the miko was practically falling apart in his arms. Did the bastard truly not have a heart?

"You insinuate the miko's tears are this one's doing but you have yet to ask the one crying the reason behind her actions. Do you truly not know how to utilize the fraction of a brain you have housed in that thick skull of yours, little brother?" Sesshomaru's anger and aggravation lashed out at the whelp, even though he knew if Inuyasha were to ask the onna why she was crying they would be right back where they had started. It didn't matter to the daiyoukai, though, as he wanted to rile the half-breed.

Insulting Inuyasha distracted Sesshomaru from the inner ravings of his beast. The barking commands to go pull the miko out of his pathetic half-brother's embrace before killing the mutt for touching what was rightfully theirs. However, the demon suppressed these urges with tremendous effort because, despite how enjoyable and quiet life would be without the stain of his father's lineage constantly insulting his ears and eyes with his mere existence, disemboweling the mut here and now would not help his case with courting the miko.

"You asshole…" Inuyasha snarled as his clawed fingers flexed, but a light touch to his bicep distracted him. Looking down, angry amber eyes met watering wells of blue as trembling lips gave a sad excuse for a smile.

"Don't, Yasha. He didn't hurt me." _Physically_, Kagome thought, hoping it would be true enough to keep the scent of deceit from giving her away. Suspicious eyes continued to look down at her and at first Kagome thought she had failed, but then Inuyasha lowered his hand before placing it on top of her head.

"If the royal pain in the ass didn't hurt you, then why are you crying?" Inuyasha's unwavering gave fixed on the miko's face, but her expression gave nothing away. Kagome just tightened her grip on his haori as she began to tremble again.

"I don't want to talk about it." Which was true. "It was scary." Which was also true, but not the reason for her current state. Kagome feared that Inuyasha would push the issue, but he truly seemed to have matured overnight. Instead of trying to hound the truth out of her, the hanyou just sent one more fleeting glare at Sesshomaru before sweeping the upset miko into his arms.

"Sango," The calm and controlled voice of an alpha brought the slayer to his side quickly while warm brown eyes took advantage of the close distance to make a quick assessment of Kagome's physical state. "Help me lay out her sleeping bag." The slayer glanced back up at Inuyasha when he continued speaking and it took her a moment to get over her worry to realize he had given her an order. A quick nod and Sango jogged over to Kagome's massive yellow bag before bringing it in close to the fire and making quick work of laying out Kagome's odd futon. Once Inuyasha put her down, the tension between the two brother's fled everyone's minds and all her friends, plus two adorable children, crowded around her.

The children cried as they both flung themselves into Kagome's arms, but began to laugh as she tickled their sides and assured them she was ok. Her lovely sister Sango annoyed her as she sat by her side and pocked and prodded the younger onna to look for injuries, but Kagome took it with a smile. A smile that only grew when Miroku started making indecent comments about how Sango's motherly nature was calling to him and inciting a burning need to procreate within his loins, this fire was doused by a swift karate chop to said region. It was amongst this chaos that Kagome's turbulent emotions began to calm down as she was surrounded by the people she loved. Her family. Her pack.

"Kagome." Inuyasha started hesitantly. He might have learned a little about how to handle crying onna from watching Miroku console Sango while Kagome was missing, but verbal tact was still not his strong suit.

"Yes, Inuyasha." Kagome's voice was hoarse from all the tears and she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Seeing her cough a little, Shippo ran on his little fox feet to grab one of their water containers. 'Thank you' his mother mouthed as she accepted the bottle from the adorable kit with a smile and a ruffle of his fiery hair. She drank deeply as she waited for Inuyasha to resume speaking, all the while wondering what was causing the serious expression on her friend's face.

"I know you don't want to talk about it," The hanyou started and Kagome's heart dropped. Was he going to ask her more about Sesshomaru? The answer was no, not right then. "But we need to know who took you. Did that bastard Naraku do anything to you?" The burning rage was present once again as Inuyasha's hate for the spider filled his being. There was no one on this earth he despised more than Naraku, not even Sesshomaru, so the thought that he had abducted Kagome from the hot springs was unforgivable.

"Oh, you didn't smell her?" Kagome asked with a tilt to her head. She didn't know the rest of their group was so uniformed.

"Her?" This time it was Sango who spoke softly from Kagome's side, and the miko nodded her head solemnly in agreement.

"Yeah, it was Kagura. I was finishing up my bath and just starting to get dressed when she showed up. She attacked me and took me to this cave where she said…" Kagome trailed off as she thought of all the things the wind demoness had said to her, none being too pleasant, but one piece of information came blazing to the forefront of her mind and suddenly Kagome felt like she couldn't breath.

Convulsions of fear and disgust rolled down the small onna's spine as the memory reminded Kagome of what Kagura had said about her time in the bath and her audience. "She said that she watched me as I bathed and that she wasn't alone," Kagome began to hyperventilate as her arms wrapped around her shaking frame to try and rid herself of the sickening feeling slithering along her skin. "She said," Kagome tried to get the words out and eventually, between the tears and her shallow breaths, she was finally able to make known her inner turmoil. "Naraku watched me." The truth was ripped from the miko's throat as heaving sobs began to accompany her short, shallow breaths. It wasn't a good combination. In her despair, Kagome almost wanted to pass out and she nearly willed the darkness creeping in to her vision to take her, but she didn't, only because she heard an unexpected voice speak her salvation.

"The wench speaks falsely, Miko." Sesshomaru's deep baritone fell heavy on everyone's ears but his attention was fixed on the trembling miko. His beast urged him forward to comfort the onna, to hold her tight to his chest and growl softly in her ear like any inu ought to do for their troubled mate, but now was not the time. Sesshomaru reminded his beast that such an act would do more harm than good at the moment so words would have to be their weapon in combating the miko's tears.

As if being freed from a spell, the tears and the shaking stopped. Kagome's body stilled except for her head as she slowly raised her eyes to meet Sesshomaru's. Hope was flooding her and she forgot all about her efforts to ignore the big inu's presence for the last hour or so. Desperate eyes locked on the figure in white making his way towards her like a glorious messenger of the gods.

"The wench lied, Miko. This one surveyed the springs, Naraku's repulsive scent was nowhere near its vicinity ." Sesshomaru stopped right in front of the huddled group, his eyes never straying from the miko.

"But, but." Kagome stuttered, relief and doubt warring inside her. She wanted to believe him, she truly did, but… "She said I had an audience_." _Kagome's face flushed with the memory of exactly what the_ show_ had been, but again Sesshomaru dispelled her fears.

"It was not Naraku. This one assures you." Sesshomaru's voice took on an uncharacteristic tone as the edge to his deep voice softened while looking down on her. His beast whined in his cage with the desire to get closer, but the daiyoukai's feet remained planted firmly on the ground a few paces away.

"How can you be so sure, bastard?" Inuyasha growled as he moved halfway between the miko and daiyoukai, not comfortable with how intently Sesshomaru was staring at Kagome.

An internal sigh heaved inside his mind, but Sesshomaru knew he had to make a confession. Not for Inuyasha's benefit, but for the sake of the still unsure miko.

"The other party the wind witch was referencing was most likely this Sesshomaru." The words brought on an unforgiving silence before the hanyou lost it.

"You fucking bastard!" Inuyasha bellowed as he launched into the air, only to come crashing back down with the whispered command of 'sit.'

"It was you?" Kagome whispered as her mind blanked. Thoughts failed her as Kagome realized that not only had the regal ice prince seen her naked (again), he had seen and heard her pleasuring herself. Her innocent soul screamed at her to be mortified, outraged, that he had been peeping in on her, yet a smaller more perverse side of her wondered if he had enjoyed it.

"Yes, Miko. It was this one." Gold glinted with hidden meaning as they pierced through two beautiful, blue crystals into the miko's very soul, as if he wanted to answer that darker side without words. Kagome didn't understand, however, as his heated gaze only puzzled the miko more, but Inuyasha's outrage was brought to life with renewed vigor after witnessing the exchange.

"You perverted ice prick!" Inuyasha growled as he pulled himself out of his mini crater. "What gives you the right to a private peep show?" Teeth bared as he advanced on the stoic lord with a clawed finger pointing straight at the inu's armored chest.

"This one was not indulging in such a dishonorable act, Half-breed." Sesshomaru snarled as he barred his own fangs (ignoring the little bit of truth in that statement). "This one was guarding the miko. If you forget, due to your inferior mind, the miko and this one are bound by the spell. If she were to parish, this Sesshomaru would experience a fate worse than death." The daiyoukai's words were filled with disdain as he glowered at the whelp. How dare the mutt try to paint him as anything less than honorable in front of the miko, he was having enough trouble courting the onna without the whelp sullying his good name.

"Bull shit! If that was the reason, why didn't you know Kagura was there and protect Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed in the dai's face and soon found himself pinned to the ground beneath a snarling daiyoukai. The outburst of anger took everyone off guard but the most stunned was Inuyasha. He had never seen the daiyoukai so angry and this shit was nothing compared to the insults he had spewed in the past.

"Think, whelp, for once in your life. Did it ever occur to you that the wench arrived after this Sesshomaru had already departed?" Sesshomaru growled. His beast was so close to the surface that he had been unable to resist the urge to subjugate the insolent hanyou. The boy might not be a part of his direct pack, but Inuyasha was, begrudgingly, blood and by right Sesshomaru was his alpha. His beast could not accept such an outright challenge.

Claws dug into the flesh of the hanyou's neck drawing satisfaction as blood began to flow. The whelp flinched and instinctively exposed his neck to the dominant being hovering over him, but Sesshomaru still wasn't satisfied. _I wonder how the half-breed would fair with a little poison…_His beast roared his support but before Sesshomaru could summon his deadly toxins to his fingers a nearby whisper broke his concentration.

"That's enough, Sesshomaru." Kagome's gentle voice breathed against his skin from his right side. Burnt Copper eyes turned to see the miko was now standing right next to him, her hands raised as if she was hesitating to touch him. Kagome waited for the daiyoukai to release her friend while holding her breath. She didn't want to speak to Sesshomaru at the moment but she also couldn't just stand there and allow the dog fight to continue. Sesshomaru's explanation made a lot of sense to her, so Kagome barely paid it any mind. She was just so happy that Naraku hadn't been the one watching her that she could almost be grateful that her 'audience' had been Sesshomaru. Besides, after the previous bathing incident and the cave incident, he had already seen her naked twice before. No point crying over spilled milk now, not when her friend's life was on the line.

"Please forgive him. I know you're telling the truth and so will Inuyasha once he calms down. He just got protective over a pack member. You can understand that, right? You are the alpha of alpha's after all." Kagome tried to placate the beast within Sesshomaru, and relief filled her as she saw red slowly phasing out of the daiyoukai's eyes, leaving pure gold behind.

"Hn." Sesshomaru grunted as he pushed off the hanyou to come face to face with the miko. Moving in until they were face to chest, Sesshomaru looked down at the tiny onna. He didn't realize it until then, but from the time they started their flight until he had spoken of Kagura's deceit, the miko hadn't looked at him. Now, as her wary gaze watched him approach, Sesshomaru realized how much he enjoyed the miko's eyes being on him. How her blue eyes followed his movements and looked straight into his eyes when she confronted him. It was what set her apart from others. The miko never failed to look him in the eye when she challenged him and this is what made her the perfect alpha bitch. However, as the pain filled her eyes once more and her gaze darted away from him to the groaning hanyou, Sesshomaru felt the loss of her attention like a physical blow. He was never one who needed to vie for anyone's attention, especially a female's, so her refusal to look at demon lord as he stood before her began to irritate him.

"Miko." Sesshomaru's voice was husky as he called to her, but Kagome was still worried about Inuyasha. "The whelp is fine, Miko. This Sesshomaru has an inquiry for you." This caught her attention as Kagome's eyes left Inuyasha to meet Sesshomaru's serious gaze. What could he want from her? The question and answer would have to wait for a later time as the entire group had their ears attacked by the Western Lord's retainer.

"My Lord! My Lord! I bring urgent news!" Jaken squawked as he dismounted Ah Un, his foot catching on the dragon's reigns before face planting into the ground. Kagome tried to hush the children who had moved to stand behind her legs and were currently giggling at the kappa's misfortune, but she wasn't too convincing when her own laughter was nearly impossible to contain.

"Master Jaken, if you're that hungry Rin is sure we can get you some dinner. You don't need to eat a mud pie." Rin and Shippo laughed and Kagome finally gave in to join in the children's amusement. Now everyone was laughing except a still stunned hanyou and an unamused demon lord.

Jaken flapped his blackened beak mutely as he blustered with the child's innocent slight, but he was scared stiff after a flare of Sesshomaru's irritated youki.

"Jaken, do not try this one's patience." Sesshomaru's voice went back to its customary monotone but Kagome could still see the lingering aggravation in the males posture and hiding behind his eyes. Little did she know, Sesshomaru was beyond aggravated, he was livid. He finally had the miko's attention and he was going to find out why she was acting so distressed in his presence so he could work on comforting his intended. The toad better have news worthy of disrupting such an important task or he will pay with his worthless life.

"Ah, of course, My Lord." Jaken's shrill voice chimed as he waddled over to grovel at his lord's feet. Bowing low with his bulbous head, he looked back up to relay his message. "The Eastern Lord requests an audience and says he refuses to leave until he meets with you, My Lordship."

The Eastern Lord? The East were his closest allies as the Neko had ruled nearly as long as the Inu had ruled the West. They didn't particularly like each other, being natural enemies and all, but they were content in keeping the borders the same and both clans stayed out of each other's business as a general rule. This type of mutual avoidance relationship was much preferred to the scheming Tengu of the South or the antagonistic relationship the West held with the Dragon's of the North. Of the Cardinal Families, the East was the easiest to deal with (usually) but also the clan which he had the least amount of interaction. What could Lord Haruto need of him?

"Hn." The lord voiced his acknowledgment but his displeasure couldn't be completely hidden. Sesshomaru's hardened stare moved from the sickly green skin of his retainer to the fair complexion of the miko. Well, this wasn't a total loss.

"Miko, we depart." Sesshomaru's voice left no room for argument as he held out his hand to the miko, once again proposing a flight among the stars, yet Kagome found the idea more intimidating than romantic. There was no way she could handle being in such close proximity to the daiyoukai after everything that had happened that night.

"Uh," Kagome hesitated as she looked towards Sango and Miroku with a pleading look no one could deny. Miroku promptly took up the challenge to help his little sister in her plight but really he was wondering what could have happened to make Kagome so suddenly timid in the lord's presence.

"Pardon me, Lord Sesshomaru, but may I make a suggestion?" The monk hedged. He didn't want to have his head roll for unwittingly insulting the agitated youkai.

"Speak." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes on the monk as his head turned slightly in Miroku's direction. He was still annoyed by the flirtatious creature's presence as the demon lord had yet to forget the traces of arousal Sesshomaru had smelled while the miko's eyes were fixed on the human male. He doubted the miko viewed the male as a potential mate as she seemed to encourage the slayer's relationship with the fool, but that did not mean Sesshomaru wouldn't stay on guard. As he said before, the Western Lord does not share.

"Ah, well you see." Miroku tried to squeeze a plausible excuse out from his lips but the tension had returned and now the golden tongued monk was finding it difficult to speak. With an arch of a regal brow from Sesshomaru, however, Miroku finally found his voice.

"Well, as you know, Lady Kagome has been through quite an ordeal this past night and I was thinking we should possibly take this as a chance to test the spell's limitations." Miroku offered with his customer service smile, a smile that quickly faltered under the daiyoukai's relentless stare. So he tried to further explain himself rather than being maimed for wasting the lord's precious time.

"What I mean to say is that we could take this chance to test out how far and or how long the spell will allow Lady Kagome and yourself to be separated. The Dragon Priestess said this spell's affects were different than the previous so it may allow you to return to your Shiro and settle your business while Lady Kagome remains here to rest and recuperates. If the pain appears, you will know immediately and be able to return to collect her but if it doesn't you can reconvene with us in Edo once your business is settled."

Kagome wanted to clap with delight as the perfect excuse spilled from Miroku's mouth. It was a wonderfully plausible plan of action as Kagome really was exhausted and she truly didn't want to go with Sesshomaru. It would be 100 times better for him to go alone anyways and Kaede's village was less than half a day away from their current location so it was a convenient meet up spot. These sentiments would undoubtably be shared with the demon lord as the idea of traipsing a human around his castle must be equally repugnant to Sesshomaru, right? That's what Kagome thought until she saw the lord's unmoving form. He had yet to reply and there was an obvious storm of indecision behind the the daiyoukai's eyes, so the miko decided to give him a little push.

"It is worth a shot. I think I would only be a liability if I were to go to the Western Palace in my current state. I need to sleep and I'm not afraid of a little pain to test out the distance. What about you Sesshomaru?" Kagome challenged as she tried to maintain an aloof appearance. She needed the challenge to be enough to guarantee the stubborn youkai couldn't refuse but not enough to stir his beast. It was a dangerous game but one Kagome was willing to play.

As expected, Sesshomaru glared at her before turning to leave. She knew she had probably damaged their tentative relationship even further, but Kagome couldn't help it. She was so confused and hurt by the youkai's actions over the past 24 hrs and she seriously needed some time alone. She wasn't lying when she said the pain would be worth the test, yet the damn dog insisted on confusing her further with his departing words.

"Jaken, remain here. Protect Rin with your life." There was a slight pause as Sesshomaru's regal form began to outline in a brilliant green glow. "As well as the miko." And with that, Sesshomaru shot into the sky like a falling star returning to the heavens. Everyone waited for what felt like hours but it was actually only minutes as they waited for the excruciating pain to come. It never did.

At the realization that the pain was most likely not coming for her, Kagome released a shuddering breath. The past couple of hours had worn away at her nerves like only this era was capable of doing, but right now it wasn't this era that she craved.

"Sango, can I borrow Kirara."

* * *

**_*Two days later*_**

Sesshomaru had returned from the Shiro at dawn only to find that the miko was not in the village. It was only after a sever beating of the hanyou and some blatant threats on their lives that the daiyoukai finally discovered where his spell partner had fled, 500 years in the future. The very notion of time travel was ridiculous to Sesshomaru, at first. However, the more he thought about it the more the daiyoukai realized how it made perfect sense. The miko had never been one to conform, and he doubted she was in her time either, but her peculiarity was too strange, too unusual, for one who simply wished to rebel against cultural norms. Plus, her language, clothing, and the foreign items she carried around in her hideous yellow 'backpack' were like nothing Sesshomaru had ever seen. So after a few hours of contemplating the possibility, Sesshomaru decided the truth didn't seem so far fetched after all.

Leaning against the God tree, the inu waited for the miko to return with nearly palpable curiosity. Sesshomaru rarely had questions he could not answer, but after hearing about the miko's origins the stoic demon became restless with the anticipation of gaining new knowledge—knowledge no one else in their time possessed. Oh yes, it was fair to say Sesshomaru was anxious, even excited, for the miko to return as his eyes rested on the Bone Eater's Well. He had already tried to pass through the old well once in his impatience but he had been denied, a theme that was becoming increasingly apparent whenever the miko was concerned.

As he thought about the stubborn onna, his beast gave a pitiful whine from his cage. It had only been two days but the dog demon's inner beast was practically sulking due to the miko's absence. It was absurd. Sesshomaru didn't miss the onna, but he had been surprised by the length of time their new love spell had allowed them to be separated. The Western Lord had not experienced an ounce of pain while dealing with the Eastern Lord's odd request, but since he returned to Edo he had felt a nagging feeling in the back his mind which compelled Sesshomaru to remain close to the well. Initially, he thought it was the spell beginning to react to its victims' estrangement from one another, but when a crippling sense of fear and pain shot through Sesshomaru's chest he knew there was much more to it than that.

The potency of such foreign emotions for the inu left him gasping as a clawed hand roughly came up to clutch his chest. Sesshomaru looked around as his youki flared, but he knew no threats would be present. Then the demon lord's head throbbed as an invisible force impacted his jaw. It was then that Sesshomaru was shocked with a sudden insight. He didn't know how he knew it, but the demon knew something was wrong in the miko's time and it was the onna's feelings that he was experiencing.

Looking over at the well, Sesshomaru felt a magnetic pull that he could not deny, and before he knew it the daiyoukai was successfully diving through the well and resurfacing 500 years in the future. Sesshomaru had no time to process anything except for the horrid smell as his instincts screamed at him to find the miko. Red threaded through gold as a feeling of desperation began to weigh heavily on his frozen heart. A blur of white descended the impressive staircase of the shrine and Sesshomaru paused for a mere half a heart, struggling to decipher the miko's lovely scent through the rancid smell of modernization. Luckily, the onna's scent was still fresh as Sesshomaru turned to sprint down the odd stone street at a demonic pace. The usual calm and soothing smell of her scent was distorted by nervousness and when he hit a bend in the road he _felt_ it. Her pain.

* * *

Kagome pulled on her winter coat as she prepared to head out to the grocery store for the last time before she would return to the Feudal Era. She knew she was procrastinating as she strolled down the streets and leisurely made her way to the nearest conbini (small convenience store) where she planned to buy Inuyasha some of his favorite ramen but the idea of returning to confront the demon lord was not a pleasant one for our favorite little miko.

Kagome had spent the last day and a half trying to decipher the being known as Sesshomaru. She had talked to her mom, her school friends, hell, she even gave talking to Souta a shot, but in the end she was just as clueless to the enigma that was the Western Lord as she had been in the beginning. It just didn't make any sense! Sesshomaru went from being a ruthless killer and their enemy, to being a reluctant ally, to then becoming her own personal ball and chain, to something that bordered on a civil coexistence, to all the sudden kissing her before going back to ignoring her again. The sequence was dizzying and it honestly gave Kagome a headache to even think about it anymore.

She knew the human hating demon king would never come to fancy her, so why in the hell was his beast so happy to kiss her? It made absolutely no sense to her. Plus, the beast had called her his mate! Don't think she had forgotten that part. Just what was up with these damn dog's being emotionally unavailable? It was times like this that Kagome wanted to meet Lord Toga so she could personally complain about his children. I mean, they couldn't have been born this way, right?

Kagome became flustered as she rewound and reviewed her interactions with Sesshomaru over and over again. The time before the love spell they had been all but strangers, so there wasn't much to note during the first three years of their acquaintance except for the fact that he had tried to kill her in the past…more than once. However, it wasn't until the 'Love Fulfillment Spell' that she actually spent time with the daiyoukai, but even then she only had a conscious recollection of part of this time period. From what she did remember, Sesshomaru had been the embodiment of arrogance. He was constantly belittling her as well a human kind and he insisted on asserting his dominance over her and that hadn't gone over well.

Kagome remembered in vivid detail their exchange after Kagome had defied Sesshomaru as her fingers brushed against her lips in memory of the demon's invasive kiss. It had been nothing like the beast's heated yet gentle kiss. The thought of Sesshomaru's beast triggered a flood of images to occupy the miko's mind: Sesshomaru saving Shippo, a slight smirk on the demon lord's lips after telling an unexpected joke, lying on top of the lord's muscled chest, golden eyes filled with gratitude for returning his arm, a sinfully delicious smile of Sesshomaru's beast before his passion devoured those memories brought forth a sense of fondness and a slight yearning in the miko's heart, but these same feelings waited to be crushed by the daiyoukai's treatment of her after the were, erm, intimate.

Kagome blushed as she left the store. It was the first time that word could be used to describe an exchange between a male and herself. Even now, the memory of Sesshomaru's hands and lips on her made heat pool in her stomach, but Kagome tried her hardest to quell that forbidden desire. It was not to be and the miko had no intention of feeding herself to the flames of a futile love once again. Instead, Kagome was just going to try and view the encounter as a pleasurable incident, I mean, it wasn't every day someone like her got to make out with arguably the most attractive being on earth.

Yeah, there is no need to over think the kiss. Nope, not gonna happen. Instead, Kagome was just gonna muster up the courage to ask Sesshomaru what was going on with his mood swings as that was vastly more important to the miko. Resolved, Kagome thought of ways to broach the sensitive subject with the prickly prince without getting her head chewed off. As the onna mulled over the possibilities, Kagome failed to notice her shadow had gained a friend.

"Hey Kagome!"

* * *

Burnt copper scanned the the odd landscape of the miko's time as he rounded the street corner, and he eventually saw her. The miko had been forced against a wall while a filthy human male proceeded to grope her chest and attempt to molest her mouth. The little miko was fighting, of course, oh how hard she was fighting, but the male's taler frame allowed him to resist her efforts against him.

"Come on, Kagome. I know you want this too. We were made for each other." Copper bled into ruby red at the fiend's gaul and the disgusting display before him. Before he even knew what he was doing, Sesshomaru's clawed hand tore the true beast off his miko and forced him against the same stone wall he had been imprisoning the onna. Snarling at the young man who was barely more than a boy, Sesshomaru felt all his hatred and disdain for humans begin to rise, seeking affirmation. This was why he hated the worthless race. All they knew was how to force their will upon the weak. They knew nothing of honor. The demon lord should teach the disgrace a thing or two about respectable behavior, and Sesshomaru knew the perfect method of instruction. A cruel smile that promised death smeared across Sesshomaru's face. He would enjoy this. Seeping his poison into the vermin's neck and then watching the human's body melt as his screams sang to the inu his agony. With his beast in full agreement, Sesshomaru raised his left arm, the arm the miko had so graciously bestowed upon him, and he let the poison begin to drip from his claws.

"Wait, Sesshomaru" The miko's small voice halted his attack, but when he glanced down at the small onna, the daiyoukai was only more incensed by what he saw. A blooming black and blue bruise was already spreading across the right side of her jaw and her blouse had been ripped down to the middle button.

"You speak on behalf of the one who assaulted you, Miko? He deserves punishment!" Sesshomaru's voice was more growl than words, but Kagome had a good idea what the raging demon was saying. Looking into the two rubies that told of Sesshomaru's anger, Kagome knew she needed to calm the beast before the situation became unsalvageable.

"I know." Kagome's words were gentle, but they weren't spoken for the human trembling in fear against the wall. No, they were for her savior. For Sesshomaru. A soft light entered Kagome's eyes as she realized the demon lord had indeed saved her, and a tender smile pulled at her lips.

Sesshomaru started when a soft hand laid across his cheek. A calming sensation invading his being as that same hand began to run her thumb along the edge of his jagged markings. She had done this once before, under the influence of the Love Fulfillment Spell, yet it had not felt anywhere near this good.

"Then why do you stop this Sesshomaru." The confusion was clear both in his gaze and tone as Sesshomaru forced himself past the distraction of her caress to question the miko. The rumbling growl was low and it made Kagome breath slightly easier. At least he was listening to her.

"For one," Kagome reached up with her other hand as well so that the big inu had no choice but to turn his head and look at her fully. "The mess melting him into a puddle with your poison would leave, physically and legally in this case, is not something I wish to deal with. Besides," A merciless light flashed within the depths of her crystal blues, "In this situation, who should really be the one dishing out punishment?"

A delighted shudder went though the youkai's entire being at what the usually peaceful miko was suggesting and, though he truly did want to deal the final blow, Sesshomaru had no qualms about passing on the honor. She was right. This was her justice.

Kagome smiled a brief smile before Sesshomaru let the heap of depravity sag against the wall once the youkai's claws were no longer holding him up. The male looked both confused and terrified. The bravado from earlier was pleasantly absent from his pale face and Kagome relished in the fact his face became even paler when she sent him a threatening smile.

"Hojo-san. I believe you know what you have done is wrong, but my friend is right. For such a disgusting deed, you cannot go unpunished. In regard to our past friendship, I will make sure this isn't too painful, however." Kagome lowered her tone so that it was dark and threatening. "If I am to hear of you doing such vile things against anyone else ever again, I will let my friend here tear your worthless hide to ribbons before personally burning them for sake of purification. Do you understand?"

The miko's threat was answered with a pathetic whimper from the male, but it seemed to satisfy the onna that her message had been delivered. With one last flash of a sinister smile, Kagome reared back her muscular leg before kicking the male in his weakness with all of her might. All the while an evil smile ghosted over Sesshomaru's lips at the thought that the miko's actions could lead to infertility.

Howls of pain and gasping filled the air as Kagome reached up to clover her gaping blouse with her winter coat before turning to the daiyoukai. A beautiful smile lit up her face as she looked at her savior once again and she reached forward without hesitation to grab his big, clawed hand.

"Let's go, Sesshomaru." And with nothing else said, the miko began to pull the infamous demon lord by the hand as she led him back to her home.

* * *

**AN: Yay! Another chapter is finally out. I can't begin to thank all of you who have taken time out of your lives to read my story. Your reviews have gone above and beyond and I am so grateful for each and every one. They provide me with so much encouragement and it motivates me to make the next chapter even better than the last (or at least to try to). **

**I hope this chapter was worth the wait, but you will be happy to know I will be working on shortening the time between updates because you all have been so good to me in the reviews. **

**Thanks again and see you soon! **


	10. The Love Spell: Chapter 10

**Disclaimer that is pointless but required: I do not own Inuyasha nor the characters. If I did, Sesshomaru and Kagome would have had a 21st century date. **

**OK, so before anyone yells at me, I just wanted to apologize for the long delay in this chapter. It is true that I had a lot of stuff going on personally, but thats not exactly why this chapter is so late. If you wanna know the truth, its because this chapter was a BITCH to write. I'll explain more at the bottom since I don't want to spoil anything, but its all because of Sesshomaru. I love him to death but if you want to blame anyone for how long this chapter took, it is his fault. **

**Sesshomaru: You dare place blame on this Sesshomaru?**

**Me: Yes, it is all your fault, and if you complain I will not give you any 'happy time' with a certain miko...**

**Sesshomaru: ...It was this Sesshomaru's fault. **

**Me: Thought so, let's just hope the audience likes the chapter after all the grief you've caused me!**

* * *

"Let's go, Sesshomaru." The miko's voice and actions were firm as she began leading the stunned demon lord by the hand. Sesshomaru was so shocked by the miko's drastic shift in demeanor that the proud daiyoukai didn't even stop to consider the degrading image a tiny miko leading him around by the arm would present as he followed behind the miko like a dog on a leash. His analytical mind was too busy going in to overdrive as Sesshomaru and his beast tried to decipher the barrage of scents assaulting their sensitive nose.

The miko was the main source of the potent emotions roiling in the air around him like a cloud, but even Sesshomaru was having a hard time working through the mass to discover the miko's current mental state. The female was obviously distressed, despite her earlier smile before taking his hand. Sesshomaru was sure of this for two reasons. One, the miko voluntarily touched his person despite how awkward things had been before he left for the Shiro. Second, the miko was quiet and that was always dangerous. It didn't take a genius, like himself, to figure out that a silent miko was merely the calm before the storm. Hell, even Inuyasha had figured that out by now so how could Sesshomaru, with his superior mind and abilities, be ignorant of such things. Still, as the pair wadded through the tempest of emotions whipping around them, the miko remained silent as she lead the equally silent demon through the streets, up the Shrine steps, and in to her home, all while gripping Sesshomaru's hand like he was a life line for her sanity.

Golden eyes narrowed as they assessed every aspect of the miko's world. The sights, sounds, and smells were a strange combination of things he knew and things he could have never imagined. Stone buildings and walls lined the odd road, houses similar yet not to wealthy lords in his time littered the streets, and the overwhelming scent of humanity continuously sullied his aristocratic nose. It was only when the miko had pulled him to the top of the Shrine stairs that Sesshomaru's shoulders began to relax. The unknown world below had his nerves on edge, but the scent of purity and hallowed ground oddly enough calmed him with its familiarity. Once his mood stabilized, those same eyes of gold wandered back to the tiny onna before him.

Raven black locks that reflected blue in the pale moonlight were unbound and swayed with the miko's smooth gait, falling like elegant waves down to the miko's hips that also swayed with every step she took. The impatient pace she had set before slowed upon reaching the Shrine, and Sesshomaru could sense that the miko had also calmed to some degree; however, this revelation did not allow Sesshomaru to progress with his assessment of the miko's current state for as soon as the daiyoukai took a stealthy whiff in the female's direction, the arrogant lord received another shock. _When had the miko learned to conceal her scent? _

The lack of communication, both verbally and now physically, sent Sesshomaru's already riled up beast in to a frenzy. Big paws pushed against Sesshomaru's mentally fornicated constraints and barks and growls demanded his other half to comfort their miko. Both males were by no means ignorant, though one half had a serious case of emotional constipation, and they both knew the situation the miko had just experienced would be traumatic for most. How could their female smile and pretend that nothing happened? No matter how strong the little one before them was, how could her gentle heart not be damaged by such a thing? How could they, as her future mate, have allowed such a transgression against her person?

A clawed hand tightened around the miko's dainty fingers when the image of that worthless male assaulting his miko flashed behind Sesshomaru's eyes. No one touched what was his. No one.

By this time, Kagome had already successfully snuck the daiyoukai in to her room. Her actions went unnoticed as her family was made up of mostly early risers who liked to go to bed early and wake up even earlier—something Kagome loathed. It helped, however, that Sesshomaru hadn't made a sound since she started pulling him towards her home (something that would have the little miko groaning in embarrassment at a later time). For now, Kagome's mind was a mess.

Not only had Hojo assaulted her, which was not something she would have ever expected from the ever gentle and kind honor's student, but she had been saved by Sesshomaru. Yes, the male youkai with an affinity for killing and a hatred for humans had saved her, and the inu youkai had actually looked concerned for her and angry over what happened to her. What was she supposed to do with that information? Wasn't this the same demon lord who detested her? The one who regretted touching and kissing her? There was no way Kagome would ever consider Sesshomaru as a 'knight in shining armor' kind of guy, but tonight he had been just that, and that left Kagome feeling incredibly disoriented.

The two stood in the miko's room for who knows how long before Sesshomaru lost his patience. The proud inu had been trying to allow the miko time to adjust, to allow her the chance to speak first, but his rare generosity was for naught as the female continued to stare blankly at a wall while refusing to let go of his hand.

"Miko." Sesshomaru's tone was quiet yet still laced with its normal impassivity, his mask barely remaining in place. Things related to this female always managed to make the daiyoukai lose his famed control, and tonight had been no different. When was the last time his beast had appeared on behalf of someone else? To Sesshomaru's recollection, such a thing had never occurred before in his life time so how could this tiny human relentlessly and unceasingly challenge his control and still be left alive? Was it the damn spell or was it something more? This was one of the main questions Sesshomaru had begun to ponder and it made Sesshomaru do something he had never done before. He hesitated. This situation was something as foreign to Sesshomaru as the bothersome instincts the miko brought out in him. How could a mere spell change one such as himself to such a degree? Sesshomaru refused to accept that it was solely the spell's doing and he was beginning to suspect that it had something to do with the miko. What exactly, he didn't know, but Sesshomaru was determined to find out. He just had to figure out a course of action… and this left the ever confident inu at a loss for what to do.

"Miko, release this one's hand." The deep baritone of Sesshomaru's quiet voice shattered Kagome's concentration. She had been trying to calm the violent storm of emotions raging inside her but at the sound of his voice her small hand instinctively released her death grip on the daiyoukai. For a brief second, the sour scent of the miko's inner agony stung Sesshomaru's nose, but it vanished just as quickly. The miko had once again concealed her scent from him and this lead to a slight sense of annoyance to trickle into the proud demon's aura. An annoyance that was misunderstood by the miko.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Sesshomaru." Kagome's soft voice sounded awkward and her forced laugh was painful to Sesshomaru's ears. "I didn't mean to offend you, I just acted without thinking. You know, like usual. Um, I know you probably have questions right now, but can you give me a minute? I want to take a shower…" The miko flitted around the room like a lost bird as she continued to face away from him, collecting a few things here and there. It was obvious she was flustered and even Sesshomaru could assume the female would want some time alone after what she had experienced, but, honestly, neither Sesshomaru nor his beast wanted her to leave their sight. It had been merely two days since they had last seen her, and in that short amount of time she had already managed to find trouble in her 'safer' time. What would happen the next time she leaves his side? Would she never come back?

**Comfort Mate! **Sesshomaru's beast roared in the back of his mind. The damn dog had been barking at him non stop since they exited the well, but Sesshomaru resisted. Even though his internal instincts were clawing at him to act, to take the position as this female's proper alpha and comfort her, Sesshomaru couldn't do it. Not now. His instincts, what some would even dare to call 'emotions,' had never caused him problems before meeting this particular onna, and this started long before the spell. It started when Sesshomaru first saw her. That day, he lost to his anger in his sire's tomb and tired to bury the miko in his poison. Since then, the insufferable onna had been the only one who could truly test his patience or rile his frozen heart. Now, the miko had made a request of him and with his inaptitude in dealing with distraught females, Sesshomaru thought it was best to let the miko dictate what she needed at the movement.

"Hn." The sound was compulsory for Sesshomaru and he thought nothing of it, but the miko smiled bitterly as she opened her bedroom door to walk the short distance to the bathroom. The sound was so unyielding, so cold, and it left Kagome even more confused than before. _Does he care or doesn't he? _

The miko entered the bathroom and began to go through the motions. As if she was on autopilot, Kagome removed her ruined clothes and tossed them directly in to the garbage. Like she ever wanted to wear that outfit again. She then turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower. The scalding water raked down her skin and Kagome couldn't help but wince as the hot water touched her injured cheek. The miko was sure that the previously pale flesh was now painted black and blue but she had been too distracted to look in the mirror. As the water fell the steam rose and soon Kagome's entire body was engulfed in a cloudy haze that matched the current state of her mind.

_What is going on? _Thought after thought rushed through the young girl's mind. As soon as she grasped the internal inquisition, the thought would evade her and another question would take its place. Ever since Naraku cast that damn spell, Kagome's mind had been bombarded by questions she thought she would never have to even consider. Questions like, why would Sesshomaru save her? Why would the demon king himself defend her? Why would his beast call her mate? Why would he kiss her? Why? Why? _WHY?_

Kagome's fist pounded against the heated tiles of her shower wall and tears mixed with the water bathing her skin. It was too much. The assault. The spell. The demon. She was only 18, how was she supposed to deal with all this craziness by herself, and that's exactly how she felt at the moment. All by herself. Alone.

Just as she was feeling this way, a rather agitated demon was pacing back and forth in a small, pink bedroom. What was he supposed to do? Not only his beast, even Sesshomaru felt like something needed to be done for the young onna in the other room. Sexual assault was a common thing in his time, it was even an unwanted, but expected occurrence at times. However, Sesshomaru was no fool. He knew from the miko's behavior and, despite her scandalous choice in clothing, the demon lord could attest to the purity of the miko's soul.

A creature of the light such as the miko did not deserve such distortion, such degradation. Her inner purity was like a radiance the black-hearted youkai had never known. A light so strong that even he, the one who knew no fear, instinctively felt wary of upon contact. At least, he did at first. After all the time Sesshomaru had spent with the miko these past few weeks how could he not have a better understanding of the tiny onna. She was innately kind, just, and fair. No matter how much she hated someone, she would never harm others without reason. Hell, she had even protected her attacker from his claws.

It was this aspect of the miko that left Sesshomaru feeling lost. A powerful daiyoukai such as himself had never known such a selfless creature. All those who stood by his side had hidden motives, it was a fact of life. Living beings are innately selfish and will time and time again betray those around them for their own self-gain and self-preservation, but the miko was different. Sesshomaru had personally seen the miko practically throw her life away fro her loved ones. She didn't fear danger in this life, there was only right and wrong, and this sense of justice gave the miko the courage to challenge one of the most deadly creatures to ever walk this Earth, him.

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed red as he thought of how such a noble creature had been so egregiously wronged. Stopping in front of the window, a deadly, clawed hand rested against the window frame. Oh, how he wanted to rip the blasted thing open and track down that disgusting human spawn. Lancing him through with his claws once or twice wouldn't kill him, at least, not right away…

Just as the wicked smile that foretold death appeared on Sesshomaru's handsome face, a wave of intense emotions stopped the youkai in his tracks. Muscles twitched under the effort it took not to kneel on the ground in pain. This pain was familiar yet foreign, however, having a foreign feeling was now becoming familiar to Sesshomaru. He may not know what it meant or what these feelings implied, but he did know it had to do with the miko.

In a flash, Sesshomaru was out of the miko's room and standing in front of a locked door. The demon lord could hear the miko's muffled sobs and without thinking Sesshomaru extended a little effort and pushed the door open. The creaking and splitting of wood was not loud enough to wake the rest of the Higurashi clan, but it was loud enough to startle Kagome out of her pain induced trance.

A fire had ignited in her chest the second she finished her shower and Kagome had barely enough sense to wrap herself in the first thing her fingers could find before she collapsed to the floor. The feeling was oddly nostalgic, but with how cluttered her mind was with unanswerable questions Kagome was unable to place when she had felt this pain before. It wasn't until a loud CRACK sound reverberated against the tiles of her bathroom and Kagome turned to see a god dressed in white that her body seemed to recall how that same god had once relieved her of this very same hand that was desperately clawing at her chest trying to stifle the fire let go and she reached for the figure in white.

Sesshomaru stared at the onna on the floor. She was clearly in pain, and so was he, but for a moment all his golden eyes could see was the miko. Her raven hair was dripping wet and clung to her flushed skin, and if that wasn't appealing enough in its own right, the little onna was currently wearing a strange, fluffy robe. The white material was thick and looked like an odd pelt of some unknown beast. The robe had not been correctly fastened and this left one long, toned leg completely exposed all the way to the hip, and when the miko's tiny hand reached for him it allowed the collar of her rob to fall open and expose a delicious amount of cleavage. If the pain had not been present, maybe Sesshomaru would have allowed his gaze to feast on the miko's pale flesh, but the pain was present and the miko reaching for him made Sesshomaru's improper thoughts fade into the background.

Giving in to his instincts, Sesshomaru reached for the miko and in less than a second both his strong arms were wrapping around the little onna. Immediately, the uncomfortable heat in Kagome's chest began to ease and even Sesshomaru breathed a little easier. However, even if she was feeling better, Kagome had been on an emotional roller coaster all day and being held in the demon lord's protective embrace crumbled the last of her walls. The barrier she had placed around herself to conceal her scent crashed down and Sesshomaru was practically assaulted by the overall force of her agony. Kagome didn't care who it was, just the fact that she wasn't alone was enough.

To say that Sesshomaru was surprised was an understatement. The miko had been avoiding him like the plague since the 'incident' after her rescue from Kagura, but now the miko was relentlessly clawing at his person, trying to get closer to him. His own mind was struggling to stay clear as the miko's distress was still affecting him and her proximity was inciting his beast, but the most baffling thing was what the scent of her tears was doing to him.

**Console her. Hold her. Don't let her go dammit! **His beast was done with his logical half's indecision. Their mate was in pain and the beast knew what to do. Using almost all of his strength, the beast roared his order and for once Sesshomaru listened. Scoping the distraught female up off the ground, Sesshomaru walked them both back to the miko's room.

The demon lord did not hold back as he unabashedly pulled the crying miko into her bed. The demon's tall frame barely fit on the twin bed but neither he nor the miko were of the mind to care. Sobs racked through the female's frame as she burrowed herself in to his embrace. Hot tears smeared across his silk clothed chest and Sesshomaru's body stiffened.

The arms around the miko's womanly form were like stone as the daiyoukai didn't know how to proceed. Comforting others, especially a crying onna, was thought to be beneath him. He had never indulged in such an 'intimate' act with another being before and this caused Sesshomaru to feel uncomfortable, which seemed to be the theme of the night.

_How does one go about comforting a female? _The beast rolled his red eyes in annoyance. **Don't overthink everything, pup. Stop fighting your instincts.** Sesshomaru's impersonation of a statue slowly subsided as he listened to his beast's words. He was right. When Rin would have a nightmare, he would sometimes sooth her in such a manner. Without thought, he would let the pup rest on his person and release a steady, thrumming growl from deep within the confines of his chest. It always seemed to work with Rin, so why wouldn't it work with this emotional woman-child? Thinking this way, Sesshomaru decided not to think anymore and just let his instincts rule him.

Kagome's body, which had been trembling the entire time, started as a gentle rumbling entered the ear that rested on the daiyoukai's chest. Then another shock suddenly filled her as deadly fingers began to run through her hair. Big, watery pools of blue rose to lock on unsure honey gold. The look of uncertainty and the barely there gentleness in the normally cold daiyoukai's eyes made Kagome's heart tighten in her chest. A lump rose in her throat and she was unable to voice the questions that were blazing in her eyes, but that didn't mean Sesshomaru couldn't see them.

"Rest." The voice was deep and soft as a cool whisper against her heated skin as he continued to run his fingers through her hair. "When you wake, this one will answer your questions."

Fresh tears tried to fall but Kagome held them back. She didn't know why Sesshomaru was willing to comfort her, but she trusted him to answer her when the time came. If Kagome knew anything, it was that Sesshomaru was not a liar, it was beneath him.

With his assurance that they would talk later, Kagome felt the weariness take over her. Her head dipped back down and, even though her mind was once again clear, she remained in Sesshomaru's embrace and even nestled closer to him. Within a few minutes, the little onna was sleeping.

Sesshomaru's silver head fell back as soon as he was sure that the miko was asleep. This entire endeavor had been more troublesome than waging a war. The demon's hands continued to thread their way through the onna's damp locks and Sesshomaru found his own eyelids were heavy. There was only a moment of hesitation before Sesshomaru also gave in to his exhaustion and fell asleep while hugging the miko to his chest.

* * *

A faint red light filtered through his closed lids and Sesshomaru immediately became aware. Golden eyes slowly opened and the first thing he saw was the miko. A head of silky, black tresses laid across his chest and right arm while his left arm was wrapped tightly around the onna's waist. Her left cheek was flush against his unarmored chest so the right cheek was left bare to his gaze, leaving her blooming bruise completely visible. The early morning light was gentle but his demonic eyes could see the slight swelling and obvious discoloration, causing the demon lord to once again feel the urge to maim that pathetic human who assaulted her.

Since Sesshomaru didn't particularly want to move his left arm from its current position, he chose to use his right arm to brush away the stray black strands that were covering the side of the miko's face. Long black lashes fluttered as his fingertips made contact with her skin, but she did not wake up. Seeing the miko sleep so soundly, Sesshomaru's innate curiosity as an inu could not be suppressed as he stroked the miko's fair skin again and again. Why was it that merely touching the miko's skin caused the demon lord's chest to tighten. Her soft, feminine body resting against his and how she fit perfectly in his arms gave the sense of rightness that Sesshomaru could not describe.

Inu were pack creatures, that was no secret, and Sesshomaru's pack was considered exceptionally small for one such as him. Usually, the stronger the alpha the bigger the pack, and Sesshomaru was the alpha of alpha's as he was the Western Lord. Yet, even one such as himself only had two others in his immediate pack, a human pup and an annoying kappa. This sense of intimacy, of belonging, that the miko brought out in him was unprecedented. No one else on this Earth could affect him to such a degree, so wasn't it only natural that he should consider the miko pack? Wouldn't that explain all the strange and foreign emotions that infiltrated his mind whenever the miko was concerned? If she was pack, that would also explain why his beast was so obsessed with the onna and his desire to be affectionate with her (Inu's were excessively intimate and affectionate with pack mates, it was in their blood).

As the wheels in Sesshomaru's mind continued to turn, a sense of acceptance filled him. Finally, the daiyoukai felt like he was getting answers to the endless list of questions the miko's existence proposed. The more Sesshomaru thought over making the miko pack, the more relaxed the daiyoukai felt. At the same time, as the big demon tried to make logical sense of his situation, his beast sat in his cage, judging hard how clueless his other side could be.

Distracted by his own thoughts, Sesshomaru was driven by the pack instincts he was no longer denying to lower his head and nuzzle against the miko's sleeping form. Jasmine and green tea perfumed her hair and a contented growl built in his throat. The sound thrummed in his chest as well and the miko's sleeping figure began to move. At first, Sesshomaru thought she was waking, but after a few seconds it became clear that the little onna was only readjusting herself.

First, the miko's petite from stretched out lazily like cat, pushing her luscious curves against his body. A throaty moan fell past her parted, pink lips and then Sesshomaru's impassive mask gave way to a look of blatant surprise as tiny hands reached up to hook around his neck. Once her hold was secure, the miko pulled her body up along the length of him until her face was buried in the crook of his neck. A tiny nose pressed against the stone column that was the daiyoukai's throat and the miko began to take deep breaths, rubbing her nose along his exposed flesh.

A tingling sensation danced along his skin as the miko continued to trail her delicate nose all the way from his lower jaw to his shoulder. Sesshomaru quickly lost his patience at the persistence of the ticklish feeling the miko's actions were stirring, but before he could push her away from him, she finally stopped. Taking a deep breath in through her nose and then releasing the hot air through her mouth and against his skin, the miko hummed in contentment.

"Smells so good." The miko's lips brushed against him as she murmured her words, but Sesshomaru heard her. For some reason, the idea that the miko enjoyed his scent made the daiyoukai's pride swell and his earlier annoyance subsided. That is, until the miko became even more bold.

As he was opening his mouth to wake the miko from whatever dream she was having, Sesshomaru felt heated flesh against his thigh. Glancing down past the miko's head, the daiyoukai realized that during her earlier readjustments the onna had situated herself over one of his thick, muscular thighs, and now she was wrapping her legs around him like a vice. A brief sense of deja vu hit him until something more important caught the daiyoukai's attention. Because of her earlier movements, the miko's robe was gaping open, and this meant that as the miko's legs entwined with his own, it was her naked flesh that pressed against him.

Red tried to bleed into gold at the thought of the miko's uncovered core being so close to him, but Sesshomaru resisted with not a small amount of effort. The miko had experienced something dreadful the night before, and an honorable being such as himself would not allow her to feel violated once more through his own negligence.

Thinking quickly on how to extract himself from the miko's embrace without her knowing, Sesshomaru's hands came to rest just along her ribs. He would just need a second to slowly ease the onna off him and place her on the bed, but his intentions were thwarted as a flash of blue alerted the daiyoukai that the miko was opening her eyes. In the millisecond he had before the girl would realize their situation and screech to the high heavens, Sesshomaru didn't bother with being subtle anymore. Two strong hands pushed the miko into the air and off his body.

For once, Sesshomaru's intentions were actually very pure and truly for the miko's sake, but the demon had no sense of delicacy and no experience in accounting for other's feelings, so the young lord was bound to make some miscalculations. For example, as the daiyoukai pushed the young onna into the air, he failed to account for two things: the placement of his hands and the state of the miko's dress.

Large hands laid along the miko's ribs, grazing the underside of her nearly exposed breasts as two clawed thumbs nestled between her womanly mounds in an effort to keep the onna stable. Her robe was basically open and left little to the imagination as the fluffy, white material kissed her sides before flaring open both above and below where the useless belt laid loosely tied.

Confused eyes looked down at the youkai that suddenly wanted to play airplane* as a sleep muddled mind tried to adjust to this odd situation. One moment she was having a beautiful dream as the intoxicating smell of the forrest permeated her thoughts. Lush greenery and the crisp smell of a wintery breeze were the last thing she could identify before she was suddenly hauled into the air like a child's doll.

As her mind became clear, Kagome's hands rested against Sesshomaru's biceps for balance. It was as her hands lowered that the miko took a better look at the demon lord's face and she couldn't help but feel amused. Two eyes were open wide as they locked on her face, sometimes they would flicker down and then back up, but they remained wide and somewhat unsure. Kagome would even dare to say that the demon lord looked nervous. A smirk pulled at Kagome's plump lips.

"What are you doing?" After all her crying it was inevitable for Kagome's voice to become somewhat hoarse, but her words came out damn near husky as she continued to look down at Sesshomaru. A regal brow arched as the demon also looked up at her and it was as if he could sense her amusement (or smell it).

"What is so amusing, Miko?" Sesshomaru's response was deep and dangerous, as if he was enjoying a hidden joke, but Kagome couldn't get past having actually seen some real emotion on his face besides his usual mask of impassivity.

"Your face." Kagome's smirk became a full on smile as her honesty caused Sesshomaru to raise both eyebrows at her. A delighted giggle filled the air and there was a flash of something in Sesshomaru's golden gaze, but it went away too quickly for the miko to identify it.

"Oh, is that so?" The dangerous way in which the words fell from his lips told Kagome that she was playing with fire, but she didn't care. The night before had left her stressed beyond imagination and her body was craving a reprieve from all those negative emotions.

"Yep. I never thought I would see you looking like that Sesshomaru. Truly entertaining haha." Kagome laughed again freely and she even tightened her grip on Sesshomaru for support. The daiyoukai's lips formed a straight line and Kagome laughed even harder at his disgruntled appearance. Who knew a Sesshomaru with expressions could be so much fun. "Oh, don't pout. I've already seen your mask crumble before, what so wrong with letting me see a little more?"

Kagome didn't know where this confidence was coming from. Maybe it was because he had saved her the night before, or that this was the second night he had held her to ease the pain of the spell, but either way Kagome felt like she could get away with acting a little more familiar with the inu. If she crossed the line, what was the worst that could happen? He can't kill her because of the spell and he probably couldn't even hurt her. The worst he could do was possibly bark at her a little bit and she was used to that due to a certain hanyou. With that thought in mind, Kagome gave in to an impulse she had been holding back since their first meeting.

Sesshomaru watched as the miko teased him, completely unaware that her body was on display. Amusement flashed behind his eyes as the taunting little minx smirked down at him and he nearly gave in to his desire to laugh. The poor, innocent, little onna simply had no clue. Who's pouting? He certainly wasn't but the miko would be after she realizes their current situation. Sesshomaru was about to put an end to this little game and alert the miko to her state of undress when he saw a delicate hand reaching for him.

Golden eyes locked on the approaching appendage and would only occasionally glance at the miko's face before returning to track the hand's slow progress towards his person. Sesshomaru didn't know what the onna was thinking, but the curiosity in her gaze was impossible to hide. Deciding that the miko wouldn't try to hurt him, and also a little curious as to what she intended, Sesshomaru allowed the human onna to cup his cheek with her hand. At first, the daiyoukai thought the moment to be truly anti-climatic as the miko's dainty fingers traced his jaw but then her thin fingers moved up to trace the length of his markings.

The sound of a startled breath passed between them, but neither knew who had actually made the sound. Kagome was surprised by how exceptionally soft the magenta stripes on Sesshomaru's cheek were by comparison to the rest of his skin. They were even slightly warmer than the rest of his body. It was an amazing contradiction that had Kagome gently tracing the marks over and over again.

Sesshomaru was also surprised by the onna's actions. The miko was being extremely bold at the moment and the daiyoukai didn't know how to feel about it. For one, Sesshomaru was not used to being touched. Yes, he had partaken in the pleasures of the flesh on numerous occasions, but those times were only to fulfill his carnal desires. If any one of those demonesses had dared to try and touch his person without explicit permission, he would (and did) kill them. Hell, if they had even glanced at his royal markings for too long he may have killed them. To youkai, such an act implies a level of intimacy that was only reserved for pack, and more specifically mates. This is what had the daiyoukai so confused. He should have been livid. He should have felt the all consuming rage and desire to kill the onna for such an offense, but he didn't. In fact, the feeling was immensely pleasurable and Sesshomaru and his beast were content to let the miko continue her fondling for the remainder of the day. That was the problem. Wasn't such acceptance just further justification that the miko was indeed pack and also meant to be his mate?

Sesshomaru's lips that had been locked against the miko's pleasurable assault could not contain a breathy sigh as the miko decided to gently graze the underside of his markings with her blunt, human nails. Gold focused back on the onna who was fixated on his markings and a devilish smirk claimed his already loose lips.

"Miko, you are not alone. This one also never thought he would see you like this." Kagome started as strong hands squeezed her ribs and it took her a moment to realize what Sesshomaru meant. That is, until her oblivious state was shattered by the feel of sharp claws tracing the sensitive skin under her breast. Kagome gasped as she looked down to see her own body on full display. Her hands moved to close the sides of her robe, but Sesshomaru wouldn't let her get away so easily. She had played with fire, so she should have been prepared to be burned.

In less than a second, Sesshomaru had the miko flipped on to her back as his muscular form loomed over her. Those same deadly claws moved from the underside of her breast to trace down the expanse of her exposed stomach. Stopping only once he got to the loosely knotted belt, where he gave a little tug. "Now, now, don't pout little miko. This one has already seen your body before," A dark chuckle and another tug. "What's so wrong with letting this one see a little more?"

Kagome gulped at the sinfully seductive way those words brushed against her heated skin. This was completely different than what she had felt with Sesshomaru in the past, even when he had relaxed enough to tease her. No, this felt more like when his beast had taken over, but his eyes were still clearly gold…

"Stop it." The words were abrupt and harsh as Kagome pushed them past clenched teeth, destroying the sexually tense atmosphere and replacing it with something entirely different. "Don't do this to me, Sesshomaru."

The words wiped the taunting smirk off the daiyoukai's face as he saw tears once again flood the miko's eyes._ What have I done this time?_ Even his beast could not give him an answer. In fact, he had been proud of his logical half's actions so how could the beast know what had upset their little miko?

"Miko?" Sesshomaru called to her but Kagome refused to acknowledge him. She even turned her face away as she gave up covering herself in favor of using both arms to black her face from his view. An eyebrow rose at how thoroughly the miko was rejecting him but he couldn't just sit by and allow the onna to distance herself from him once more. He had already decided she was pack.

"Miko." Sesshomaru tried once again to engage her with words but when that failed for the second time he turned to what he knew worked best, action. A strong hand lifted the miko off her bed as the other pulled back her comforter. Then, just as the miko was about to start yelling at him, the daiyoukai expressed an unusual amount of courtesy as he sat the miko down facing him before he wrapped the heavy blanket around her, effectively covering her body form his view.

"Miko." Sesshomaru tried once again as the miko had lowered her hands to keep the blankets closed, leaving her face open to him. "This Sesshomaru is…" A brief pause before the proud daiyoukai basically spit out the following admission of inadequacy, "not accustomed to interacting with others. This one has never had to explain himself nor his actions, but now times are different." Kagome glanced over to meet Sesshomaru's steady gaze.

"For the sake of this spell and for the sake of making this easier on both of us involved, this Sesshomaru realizes that you probably need an explanation from time to time. However, guessing what needs to be said and what doesn't need to be mentioned is not something…" Sesshomaru stopped again as if he was searching for the right word.

"You're accustomed to?" Kagome supplied as a sense of understanding was beginning to dawn on her. Sesshomaru shot her a blank look for a moment before nodding.

"Exactly. Therefore, this one suggests a compromise." The daiyoukai waited for the miko to interrupt of say something else, but she merely stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "Basically, Miko, if you have questions, concerns, or the like, you should just ask this one. It will be a much more efficient process and save us both time and energy."

Sesshomaru finished speaking as if he was making a big business proposal and Kagome couldn't help but smile a little bit. This entire time, they were supposed to be getting closer to "understand and accept" one another, but what have they learned about one another? Relatively nothing.

"Ok, then Sesshomaru I have a question." Sesshomaru was pleased with the miko's easy acceptance and thought her having questions was natural. He had already promised to answer them the night before.

"Hn, proceed." Kagome ignored the regal tilt of the daiyoukai's head as he allowed her to begin her questioning, and without revealing a single trace of her annoyance she shot the daiyoukai a beautiful smile. One that caught Sesshomaru off guard, but how would he know that was exactly what the little miko wanted.

"Sesshomaru," A small hand escaped the confines of her blanket cocoon and gently rested on his knee. The daiyoukai glanced at the hand on his person, but once again he didn't feel the slightest bit insulted by her familiarity. In fact, he welcomed it.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kagome's angry voice distracted the daiyoukai long enough for the hand that rested gently on his knee to raise in the air, form a fist, and then land a strike on its previous location. The attack didn't hurt, but it did cause the daiyoukai to narrow his gaze at the little onna. He may be more open to her presence and touch, but that didn't mean he would excuse her being outright disrespectful. However, before he could even growl at her the miko continued her rant.

"I mean, really, Sesshomaru. It was fine when I thought you just hated me along with the rest of human kind, but what has been up with you since that damn spell was cast, hmm? After Chiyoko-sama changed the spell you've been acting hot and cold, day in and day out. How am I supposed to 'understand and accept' you when you change personalities like you have Bipolar Disorder? At first you hate me, then you spy on me in the baths, then somehow you finally learn how to crack a joke, then you rescue me from Kagura, then your damn beast couldn't keep his paws off me while calling me 'Mate,' yet you couldn't even look at me afterwards since you were so disgusted with yourself for touching me like that. THEN, when I try to distance myself from you so that you didn't have to put up with me anymore you got annoyed with me wanting to be away from you, and finally you come in like a damn knight in shinning armor to protect me for the second time. I mean, what is a girl supposed to do with that amount of contradicting information, Sesshomaru? Do you hate me or don't you!"

Kagome was panting by the end of her tirade and her hair had fallen in her face with the exertion she had put forth to deliver her long overdo rant. Sesshomaru had sat there, blankly, the entire time and his blank stare had yet to change as he looked upon the miko's flushed face. The urge to comfort her rose again, and with not even a second of resistance Sesshomaru followed his instincts.

Leaning forward, the deadly demon moved his face closer to the miko's. Kagome was so shocked by his encroaching proximity that she didn't know how to react let alone block his advance, so nothing stood in Sesshomaru's way as he leaned in to the crook of her neck. There, the large, merciless demon lord did something astonishing to her. He began to nuzzle her!

A soft cheek and cold nose pressed against the side of her throat and she could hear that strange rumbling noise from earlier. His hand also came up to rest against the opposite side of her neck, and Kagome remained frozen as Sesshomaru sniffed along her pulse.

"Wha, what are you doing?" The little miko couldn't take anymore as the daiyoukai's cool skin was making her feel uncomfortably hot.

"Comforting." Was all Sesshomaru said as he moved from her neck to the top of her head where he inhaled the miko's delectable scent while simultaneously pulling her to his chest so that she could hear his comforting growls.

_Comforting? _A small part of her was happy upon hearing his words because they showed the daiyoukai cared for her at least a little bit, right? But the larger part of her…

"No!" Kagome pushed against Sesshomaru's chest but his hold on her did not yield. She twisted in his grip from side to side but instead of freeing herself, Kagome simply managed to put pressure on her bruised cheek, making her hiss out in pain.

This sound did, however, have the desired affect as Sesshomaru leaned back to examine the miko, but as he was trying to see where she had hurt her self Kagome resumed shouting in his face. "I said no, Sesshomaru. If you hate me stop being nice to me!" Kagome kicked and pushed against the daiyoukai but the onna's actions were once again inciting his beast, but this time it was for a different reason. Now that both sides of his person recognized the miko as pack, her blatant challenge to his authority was rising within him an inescapable desire to dominate her, to prove that he is alpha and that his word is law. It was only by the skin of his teeth that he was able to reign in is beast.

"Miko, this one does not hate you. At least, not now, and this one is never _nice._" Sesshomaru said with a rueful words were an admittance that needed to be voiced eventually, and Sesshomaru had no problem admitting them now, especially since they made the miko quite her struggling. Before she could mouth off again, however, Sesshomaru thought it prudent to explain everything.

"This one knows the past events confused you, and you were not alone. This Sesshomaru was also very perplexed by you and the emotions your presence gives rise to. It wasn't until just recently, as this one saw you being attacked for the second time in the course of a few days, that we realized what our actions entailed. This Sesshomaru views you as pack, Miko."

Now it was Kagome's turn to stare blankly at the demon lord. Sesshomaru saw her as pack? No, Kagome couldn't believe it. She didn't know much about youkai but 'pack' was something she had learned about through traveling with Inuyasha and their own 'pack'. Pack was sacred to inu youkai and it was an extremely close bond that could not be broken. It was stronger than friendship and thicker than blood, so how could the all mighty Sesshomaru see her in such a light. No, it was impossible.

"Do you doubt this Sesshomaru?" The dark threat underlying his words was obvious: _should I prove it to you?_ Yet such an idea on how that would turn out made Kagome blush and she quickly turned away.

"It is not that I doubt you. It is simply hard to believe. It also doesn't explain everything." Kagome's face heated with what she had to say but this was the most open and honest conversation the two had ever had, if she didn't say it now she would never get another chance. "Even if you see me as pack, does that explain your beast forcing you to kiss me, even to go as far as claiming me as your mate?"

Sesshomaru stared at the indignant little female as she made a strong case and asked all the questions he thought she would. He knew she would bring that case up eventually, but the use of one particular word caught his attention and caused the inu to feel annoyed. A long, elegant finger hooked around the miko's chin and turned her to face him. "No one can force this Sesshomaru to do anything, Miko. Nor was this one completely against what transpired, do you understand."

The tint of copper in his gaze alerted Kagome to Sesshomaru's encroaching anger so she quickly nodded, even though what he had just said made her beyond speechless. He wasn't against it? _Does that mean he liked it? _The miko wanted to physically shake that thought out of her head, but Sesshomaru's hold on her remained firm as he was not done speaking.

"Listen carefully, Miko. Inu's are incredibly affectionate with those that are in their pack. Things like grooming or skinship are common, expected even, as they reinforce pack bonds. Plus, you are the only female in this one's pack besides Rin, and that, along with your internal strength, caused my beast to claim you in haste. You are this Sesshomaru's alpha bitch, Miko, it is only natural that my beast would claim you as ours."

The hand that had been pinching her chin loosened its grip and moved to cup her cheek instead. Kagome was still in shock and didn't know what to say even if she could speak so she just continued to stare at the daiyoukai like an idiot._ Is this another one of his jokes? _The longer the miko remained silent, the more unsatisfied Sesshomaru felt. He knew it was too early to make their intentions to mate the miko known. It was clear by the look in her eyes that being 'claimed' was not a pleasant concept to such an independent creature.

"There is no reason to fear, Miko. It is simply that by being seen as pack, this one's beast views you as a potential mate. Neither of us will ever harm you or force ourselves on you." Red flashed in Sesshomaru's eyes at the memory of the night before, and Kagome was startled out of her trance. The daiyoukai was clearly still upset about the night before, and what made the miko feel warm inside was that he was upset for her.

"I thought that kind of thing would be acceptable for youkai. You know, forcing submission and all that." The miko's words were but a breath as saddened blue eyes flickered away from Sesshomaru's face.

"Submission in a pack is an entirely different matter, Miko. For youkai, forcing oneself on to an unwilling female is the ultimate sign of disgrace for a male. A youkai with power and honor would have no need to stoop so low." Sesshomaru's voice rang clear with his conviction and disgust for such an act and the warm feeling in Kagome's stomach intensified. Instead of butterflies, it felt like there were fireflies zooming around inside her tummy.

"Oh." How was she supposed to respond to that? The miko had always viewed youkai culture as barbaric and animalistic, but if what Sesshomaru said was true, then she might have to reconsider some of her earlier assumptions.

"Hn." Sesshomaru's voice was hard and his displeasure was clear. The demon lord didn't like being viewed as anything less than honorable, especially by the miko, so her placing him in the same group as that 'Hojo' had the red bleeding back in to his eyes. If it wasn't for Kagome's next words, he probably would have snapped.

"Anyways, I guess I believe you about the pack stuff. It does make sense if you think about it, and it wasn't as if I was scared you'd hurt me, Sesshomaru. If you wanted to do anything to me you would have done it by now, and even at that time your beast came out he was gentle. It wasn't like the encounter was forced or unwelcome by any means…" Kagome's face was scarlet by the time she finished her blabbering, only realizing what she was implying after it had already been said.

Not having the nerve to look at the daiyoukai and see his response to her suggestive remark, Kagome scrambled out of bed. "Alright! With that settled, we should be heading back. I'm just going to get ready." The miko made her grand declaration as she grabbed some clothes before heading back to the bathroom. It truly is a pity the little onna hadn't had the courage to face the demon lord after her slip of the tongue. For if she had, the miko would have seen a devilishly handsome face brimming with approval of her words and agreement with her assessment.

**Mate trusts us. Let us come out to play! **Sesshomaru ignored the beast's whining and smirked to himself. He knew the miko didn't mind his touch, but hearing her say so herself left him feeling quite satisfied and almost excited for what was to come.

* * *

Less than half an hour later, Kagome had finished packing, told her family good bye, and stood in front of the well with Sesshomaru. It wasn't until her hand trailed the old, wooden ledge that a thought struck her. Kagome turned to her side and directed an inquisitive glance as her spell partner.

"Wait, Sesshomaru. How were you able to come through the well?" After everything that had happened last night and this morning, neither of the two had thought of how truly miraculous Sesshomaru's appearance in her world was, and even Sesshomaru paused at her question. At the time, the daiyoukai hadn't spared a single thought on how the well should have denied his passage, he had only been concerned with finding the miko. But the question remained, why did the well allow him passage through time?

"This Sesshomaru doesn't know." Those words rarely passed the demon lord's lips, but tonight they were true on more than one occasion. The all powerful inu had no guess as to why his person was allowed to pass through the well.

"Your arm…" Kagome trailed off as she looked at the daiyoukai beside her and unabashedly reached for the daiyoukai's left arm. By now, Sesshomaru didn't even flinch at the thought of the miko touching his person. He simply allowed it to happen.

The miko's mind continued to spin. No one besides Inuyasha and herself had ever been allowed through the well before, and Inuyasha's passage was reliant on the prayer beads around his neck. The beads that connected the hanyou and the miko. The beads that bound them.

Sesshomaru watched the miko as he could see the thoughts racing behind her eyes. The intelligent demon didn't know exactly what she meant about his arm, but he could figure out that the miko thought it was related to his passage through the well, but how could that be? The return of his left appendage would allow him passage? Wouldn't him being in possession of both limbs make him more of a threat to this time? If so, the well should have undoubtably denied his passage. Unless…

"We've bonded." Kagome's eyes were hazy as she returned from her mental reprieve. At the arch of that irksome silver brow, Kagome thought it best if she explained. "You see, the only reason Inuyasha can come through the well is because of his subjugation beads. They are a sign that we share a bond and that he can be trusted in this time. Since I trust him, the well also trusts him. The same is now true with your arm, I think. Since I trusted you enough to give you your arm back, the well must think you are trustworthy enough to be in my time."

The miko was babbling by the end and the smile of a child unravelling a puzzle pulled at her lips, but her words held a sense of truth for the youkai. It made sense. The miko did seem to be the link between the two eras while the well was just a portal.

"Hn. Then this Sesshomaru has gained much more than an arm from you, Miko. Do not increase this one's debt any more." A hint of a smirk told Kagome that Sesshomaru was joking, but his words did sound slightly pleased. Whether it was for access to another world or her trust, Kagome didn't know. She just decided it wasn't worth the effort to argue as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." The miko chirped as she hopped up to the edge of the well. Turning back to look at his face that was (annoyingly) still rather close to hers, Kagome gave him one of her own taunting little smirks. "If I did, how would your highness ever be able to pay me back." The little minx laughed as she dove in to the well to escape the daiyoukai's retort, which she assumed would be a swipe of his claws.

The ever stoic demon lord watched as the miko teased him once again, and as the blue light engulfer her petite frame he did something he hadn't done since he was a pup. Sesshomaru smiled. Not a smirk or a smile foretelling death, but a genuine smile of amusement commanded his pale lips. Too bad no one was around to see it, and by the time he passed through the well to stand by the miko's side the infamous smile had already been replaced by his usual stoic facade.

When he appeared, the miko was desperately trying to evade him by climbing up the vines to the top of the well. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru had only been a few seconds behind her so she had taken, at most, three steps up the slippery stone surface. A playful light flashed behind his eyes as Sesshomaru saw the miko's frantic struggle to increase her pace, but he showed her some mercy. Some being the optimal word.

Reaching up, Sesshomaru hooked a single, strong arm around the miko's waist before pulling her to his side like he was carrying a football or a bag of rice and then jumping out of the well. An "Eeep" followed him as he made landfall, and the demon lord was almost looking forward to how the miko would confront him for his treatment of her, but before either of them could speak they both felt the auras of different people surrounding them.

Sesshomaru acted on instinct and placed the miko down behind him even though he could sense who was there. He had sensed them before even leaving the well. It wasn't the people themselves that had the daiyoukai on edge, it was the tension in their auras. This was something that Kagome also noticed, but her response was very different.

Upon sensing her friends and their disturbed auras, the miko wanted to rush forth and personally check all her comrades for injury or harm. She would have too, if a big, stupid dog didn't stand in her way.

"Kagome."

"Kagome-chan."

"Lady Kagome."

"Mama!"

"Oka-san!"

All the voices of her friends came forth like an incantation and Kagome reflexively smiled. Stepping out from behind the brooding daiyoukai, the miko walked forward. The one's who had called out to her were not the only one's present, they were 5 out of the 9. Those that hadn't greeted her were Jaken, who was groveling at Sesshomaru's feet and shouting his praises that the demon lord had returned safely. His screeching was annoying, as usual, but it didn't last long as Sesshomaru seemed to have less patience than usual as he punted the kappa into Inuyasha's forrest. With him had been Ah Un, but the dragon couldn't speak.

As for the other two… One was Kikyo. Kagome had prepared for her appearance sooner or later, and when she had arrived in the well she knew it would be sooner as the tell tale sign of her presence tugged on her soul. All the preparations in the world, however, could not have warded off the inevitable bitterness she felt upon seeing the dead priestess standing directly behind Inuyasha. Yes, she had let go of Inuyasha as a potential love interest. It didn't mean seeing them together didn't sting a little bit.

Maintaining her smile, Kagome turned her face away from the couple and faced an equally troublesome existence but this one she was much more happy to face.

"Yo, how's my woman?"

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**AN; YAY! That's it, the first ten chapters are completed! I would think we are roughly half way done with this story (maybe a little less than half way). So, to explain the earlier issue with Sesshomaru, the reason this chapter took so long is because I had to write an emotionally constipated character having an emotionally significant conversation. **

**I know some of you have commented on Sesshomaru's personality, some saying they like it and that he's truly to character while others say he is a little OOC, I am happy with either input but my goal is to keep Sesshomaru and the rest of the gang as close to cannon as possible. That is to say, that Sesshomaru will appear to be a little out of character some times because Sesshomaru was never put in situations when he had to deal with romantic relations or even basic emotions really (except when Rin died the second time) so I am just going off how I think he would react to these 'foreign feelings.' **

**I tried to make Sesshomaru and Kagome's confusion over their feelings clear through this chapter, and I hope it wasn't too far fetched. Please leave a review and let me know what you think if you have the time because I am rather nervous about this chapter. You have no idea how many times I rewrote their discussion. Sometimes it was too long, sometimes it was too short. Then it was too corny or Sesshomaru was too awkward. In the end, I couldn't delay posting this anymore so what you got was the final piece. Still not a 100% happy with it, but it is gonna get us where we need to go :) **

**Thank you so much for your patience and to those who read my other stories I apologize to you for the delay as well. Nothing got done as I was too focused on this chapter and kept getting frustrated. I will be posting to my other two Inuyasha fanfics in the next few days. Thank you for reading my story and I promise you will never have another delay like this if I can help It! **


	11. The Love Spell: Chapter 11

**Happy Holiday's Everyone! I don't own Inuyasha, but this is still my present to you! **

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"Yo, how's my woman?" Koga's handsome face flashed a lopsided grin as he made eye contact with Kagome, who instinctively bristled at his words but welcomed his presence nonetheless. However, before she could respond a certain hanyou started shouting. What else was new?

"You bastard, how the hell did you get through the well!" Inuyasha growled as he took a step towards them, his hand already resting on the hilt of his sword. Kikyo's glassy gaze moved between Sesshomaru's defensive stance, her reincarnation's relatively lack of response to her place beside Inuyasha, and her frustrated lover's growling face. To her rational mind it was a rather interesting turn of events.

Unlike what most people thought of her, Kikyo did not blindly hate the futuristic miko. She only resented the onna for her ability to so easily take hold of all the things she had lost when Naraku took her life. Her love for Inuyasha had permeated her very being when she was alive, so seeing Inuyasha care for another, let alone one that held part of her soul, how could she not be bitter? It was because of this that Kikyo had invested this second chance at life in driving a wedge between Inuyasha and the one named Kagome.

It was petty. It was cruel. It was selfish. She had done dreadful things and her reiki had suffered from her vile actions, but Kikyo didn't know any other way. This tiny sliver of a soul that animated her clay body lived for one thing. The anger that had festered in her soul at the point of her death and reborn during her rebirth at the hands of that damn witch lingered in her stony heart, but it was not what it had been. Now, the vast majority of that hatred was directed solely at Naraku, the perpetrator of all her agony. Nonetheless, there were some things that Kikyo could not relinquish whether in life or death. One was the protection of the Shikon Jewel. The other, the dead miko laid her hand on the riled hanyou before glancing one last time at the calm, yet slightly annoyed, expression on the younger onna's face.

"Calm down, Inuyasha. Drawing your weapon against one of our strongest allies is not wise. Let us hear what they have to say." The cold monotone voice sounded like an echo bouncing off a lonely mountain side but it still seemed to calm Inuyasha's anger.

Sesshomaru watched this display with disinterest. Truly, he did not understand many of the things his half-wit of a half-brother thought in that useless brain of his, but the thing that ceased to amaze him was that the idiot actually preferred the clay imitation of flesh to the living, breathing miko that stood behind him. Her loyalty and love was limitless, yet the whelp threw it all away for his former puppy love.

The older demon sighed for the ignorance of one of his own line. Sesshomaru was probably the only one that could sense the decline in the former miko's reiki and the darkness that had begun to taint the purity of her soul. It was disgusting. It was ugly. It was human. Kikyo was a true representation of what the demon lord had come to associate with both human and miko alike. However, the daiyoukai gave little thought to the slow disintegration of the dead priestess' soul for it had nothing to do with him. Her abilities were still adequate to provide some form of assistance during their battle and if they were not then she would simply perish due to her own incompetence.

No, Sesshomaru did not spare a second thought over the dead miko. Instead, he and his beast were internally snarling at the wolf prince who had been inching his way forward with the look of a beast stalking his prey. In that second, Sesshomaru wondered what could possibly derange the wolf pup into casting such a glance at Lord Sesshomaru of the West, but it was when the wolf leaped into action that the daiyoukai realized he was not the male's target.

"Kagome!" Koga lunged forward, fully prepared to take his woman into his arms and twirl her around once or twice for good measure. The matter bringing them together was serious as could be but the young prince was overjoyed at the prospect of being in his gal's presence once again. It had been far too long since they last met.

Just as the wolf's claws were about to make contact with the miko's delicate skin, a steely arm flashed out and landed a palm strike on Koga's chest that sent him flying to the edge of the clearing. Blood sprayed out of his mouth upon contact and followed behind him like the tail of a fire work, bright and colorful. The second Koga was in the air his muddled mind tried to figure out who had struck him as his eyes had only been for Kagome, but thought temporarily left him when the silence in the clearing was shattered by his muscular body colliding with an old oak tree with a loud ***CRACK***. Koga's vision faded for less than a second and when he focused once again an angel was running towards him.

"Koga!" Kagome had been unprepared for Sesshomaru's assault on their troublesome ally. Yeah, she could have predicted it if this had been a month or two ago. Hell, if it had only been two days ago the incident wouldn't be half as shocking, but after only one night of seeing the softer side of the demon lord Kagome had forgotten how deadly this man truly was. He was not named the "Killing Perfection" without reason. How could Koga have been so careless and treated it like any other day when he made his forceful advances? No, they were never welcome, but shouldn't his youkai senses be on high alert with someone like Sesshomaru's hanging around? I mean, even human's could feel his murderous intent!

"Koga, why are you so dumb?" Kagome huffed as she was about to kneel down on the ground and assess his wounds, but Koga surprised her by snapping off the ground. Standing in front of her, the lazy lug's peaceful blue eyes became frigid. A strong, calloused hand came up to her face and was about to touch the pitifully abused cheek when a wave of uncontrolled youki crashed through the clearing.

Everyone's bodies froze and Kagome felt like her entire being was slowly freezing from the inside out, starting with her heart. Her reiki tried to raise itself to the surface to insulate her against their natural enemy's power, but it was useless. The oppressive energy sat heavy on her shoulders, as if she was being reprimanded by a teacher, but Kagome could sense that she was getting off easy. In front of her, the dignified Prince of the Eastern Wolf Tribe had crumpled to his knees as he grit his teeth in an obvious attempt to resist the submissive instincts such power arose in pack youkai such as himself. Kagome didn't even have to turn her head to know that Inuyasha was probably in a similar position. The others, well, Kagome didn't have time to ponder their circumstances as a claw laid heavy on her shoulder.

"Wolf pup, you will do well in remembering that those in this one's pack are not for your filthy hands to touch." The deep baritone that whispered over her head made Kagome shiver and the hand resting on her shoulder tightened in response.

Sesshomaru had not been surprised when the gentle miko ran forth to help the mangy wolf, but that didn't mean he liked it. Golden eyes had practically narrowed in to slits at the soothing tone of the onna's voice as she addressed the younger prince and her willingness to aid him. It was unsightly, and when the fool tried to push his luck and actually touch his miko, how could one such as himself allow such a thing to occur right under his nose? The miko was a part of his pack and therefore no male besides those receiving his prior approval were allowed to touch his female. This was the way of the Inu for female's in their pack and as the alpha of certain miko with a history of attracting troublesome things, Sesshomaru would make sure to adhere to such traditions.

"Come." Sesshomaru dismissed the wolf with a glare as his hand slid off the miko's shoulder and down to her wrist where he proceeded to lead her back to the clearing. This stunned everyone but two fools didn't know when to leave well enough alone.

"Let go of her you ice-bastard!"

"Hands off my woman, you damn mutt!"

Both threw out insults, but one was closer and had made a decidedly poor decision in his choice of words. Silver flew behind him as the inu lord flashed back to where Koga was still kneeling on the ground. In less than half a second, Sesshomaru had him pinned to a tree by the neck. The wolf youkai kicked and scratched at Sesshomaru's body but it was like the daiyoukai was made of steel as he didn't move or even bleed as claws pulled at the muscular arm blocking his air way.

"Le..t go!" Koga huffed as the claw constricting his airways tightened. This was it. Fear began to roll of Koga in waves at the look in the Western Lord's eye. His stony expression could not hide the murderous intent lurking in those cat like eyes, and as his lips pulled into a wicked smile. It was then that Koga knew his life was over. At least, it would have been if it weren't for his guardian angel.

"Sesshomaru, wait!" A tiny onna pulled on the big demon's arm to no avail. Sheesh, is this guy carved out of stone or something? Trying again, Kagome used both hands to try and loosen the hand around her friend's throat. Yes, Koga was a pain, but he was still her friend. Besides, they needed all the allies they could get for the upcoming battle with Naraku! With this in mind and with her feeble attempts being fruitless, the futuristic miko decided for a surprise attack.

Sesshomaru ignored the miko's attempts to dislodge his hand. Such a pathetic existence. What would it matter if he wiped the wolf off the face of the Earth? His dysfunctional brain and physical inability made him unworthy to fight alongside one such as himself. Hell, the pup wasn't even worthy of being a meat shield. No, this disgrace had to die and the demon lord would not acquiesce to the miko's misguided kindness like he had in her world. Here, the penalty for disrespecting the Lord of the West was always the same. Death.

His hand tightened one final time as he prepared to snap the wolf's neck. Truly, couldn't the miko see his thoughtfulness? If it weren't for her gentle soul the man's guts would already be decorating the forrest floor. The beast sighed within his cage as he knew their little miko wouldn't appreciate their efforts to please her but he still agreed with his logical half. Less for the verbal slight against them and more for the mistaken claim the wolf laid on their miko. He had not been deaf when the wolf prince called the miko his woman. This meant the boy was a rival and the beast was all for eliminating such a bothersome existence for their miko's attention. With both in full agreement, Sesshomaru prepared to make the final move, however, the miko he had been ignoring suddenly assaulted him and his thoughts.

Yes, what Kagome did could only be described as an assault as she literally threw herself on to the daiyoukai's body. Thin arms wrapped around his neck while strong thighs hooked around his hips. The young onna was exhibiting an indecent display as she latched on to the youkai but she didn't care. This was the only way she could think of to force Sesshomaru to pay attention to her.

"Please release him, Sesshomaru. We need him for the battle!" Kagome used her new found height and proximity to the lord's ear to try and appease the angry male with her coaxing plea. Sesshomaru's body was rigid but his grip remained firm on Koga's neck. Kagome knew this was a possibility but she continued her efforts to soothe his ire and tried to convince him to let Koga go willingly.

"Please, Sesshomaru-sama. One such as yourself should not bother with the opinion of those lower than you." The miko's sweet words blew against his cold skin and the beast within was already weakening against the miko's new found battle tactic. Sesshomaru wanted to roll his eyes at the big dog's weakness. He might be ready to accept the onna as part of his pack but he wouldn't let her always get her way. He, the Western Lord, would not be at the mercy of a mere female's wills.

"This does not concern you, Miko, and this one has no intention of heeding your request this time." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the barely breathing youth in his grip. His stupid face was now a sickly blue color and it was only a matter of time before he died of affixation.

"Please?" The miko murmured one more time against the alabaster skin of his neck. The beast was enjoying this submissive behavior accompanied by such physical attention, but the fact that it was at the behest of another male dulled the sense of accomplishment. In fact, it made the whole thing leave a sour taste in the demon lord's mouth.

"No." Sesshomaru's voice was hard. An impenetrable fortress that foretold of his iron-clad decision. However, Kagome had one more card up her sleeve that she hoped would surprise the demon lord long enough to release his grip. If she didn't hurry, Kagome feared that Koga would have the misfortune of meeting two King Yamas in one day!

As she felt the muscles in Sesshomaru's arm tense for the final time, Kagome left behind all her resignation and threw her life away as her next move would undoubtedly sign her death warrant once this spell was lifted and Sesshomaru was free to kill her.

As for our demon lord, hot air on his neck was becoming a constant distraction and was allowing his beast to creep in to his conscious at an alarming rate, but it was time to finish what he started. One move of his wrist and the wolf would be no more. However, just as his muscle's tensed to crack his prey's neck, the heat on his neck became different as it was no longer the heated word's the miko spoke on the youth's behalf, but instead it was her own flesh. Luscious lips smoothed over his skin as they moved in an unmistakable pattern. The miko was kissing him! The pleasant surprise, however, was over just as quickly as those very same lips that were caressing his skin a moment before parted wide before allowing blunt human teeth to sink into his moistened flesh. At the same time, the miko used the opportunity her surprise attack created to unhook her legs from around the daiyoukai's waist, swing them behind her, and push off an adjacent tree.

The act had the desired result as the miko propelled both her and a shocked Sesshomaru to the forrest floor, leaving the half-dead Koga to fall wheezing to the ground. For once, the rash prince proved that his head wasn't only for show and actually held a brain for as soon as he could breath again the wolf used his powerful legs to launch himself across the clearing and away from his almost murderer. Once he made landfall, Ginta and Hakkaku were by his side, one guarding while the other supported their leader and friend. This went unnoticed by most, however, as all eyes were currently on a petite female that now sat boldly on the Killing Perfection's armored waist. Koga saw this and was alarmed by the scene as much as anyone and was ready to throw his second chance of life away to go back and save her, but before he could take action he saw the enraged mutt-face do exactly what he planned to do—charge head first into action.

Only, the dog only got a few yards before his entire body was thrown backwards by some kind of barrier. Shit, now they were in trouble. Koga sighed before he coughed up a mouthful of blood from Sesshomaru's earlier attack. What have I done? I escaped with my life but at what cost? His handsome face scrunched up in pain and annoyance with himself. Why of all the youkai to be present at that time had it been Sesshomaru, the Western Lord? He could have had at least a fighting chance with almost anyone else, but with that icy prince even death would bow in resignation.

Koga watched Inuyasha unsheathe Tessaiga only to be blocked by his companions. It looked like they also understood that such actions were a waste. Now, the wolf prince grunted as he moved his battered body to a proper sitting position, they could only wait to see if the lovely Kagome could escape the claws of the beast.

As the group outside the barrier were resigned to their fate as spectators, Kagome, on the other hand, was left to stare death in the face as the demon lord's burnt copper glare tried to pierce through her. Her hands trembled upon the hard armor of his breastplate, but her eyes remained resolute.

"Don't look at me like that, Sesshomaru. You've known for a long time that I'm not an 'all bark, but no bite' kinda girl. I tried to work with you but you weren't listening!" The miko's words were haughty with her indigence, but the demon lord was more focused on a different matter.

"Miko, do you understand the gravity of your actions?" The words sounded more like a growl and Kagome could feel the vibrations under her palms. She didn't know why, but that one sentence felt unbearably heavy and the look in Sesshomaru's eyes was both dark and dangerous. This killer combination forced the onna to remove her once sure gaze away from those smoldering eyes. Kagome's small frame then began to fidget from her perch on top of the now leisurely reclining daiyoukai as he listened to her pathetic ramblings about insignificant matters like 'allies for the battle' and 'saving a friend's life'.

An evil smirk bloomed across the youkai's face like a poisonous flower and the miko instinctively flinched back, only to have her retreat made futile as she suddenly found their positions reversed. From the flat of her back, the little onna watched as the big inu positioned himself above her. Kagome didn't know what was going on or why Sesshomaru's sinful smile was filling her body with a foreign heat, but her subconscious was screaming one thing. DANGER.

"Um, Sesshomaru? I am sorry for, you know, bitting you, and I know you must be mad, but, uh.. Wait, what are you doing!" Kagome babbled her question out as her hands tried to block the big dog as he was pawing at her top. Had she flipped on the beast's naughty switch? If so, this was not the time nor the place and Kagome was fully prepared to tell the big beasty no, but as she looked up to do just that she saw something that caught her off guard. Two brilliant pools of gold were eyeing her obstructing hands in annoyance.

When Sesshomaru noticed the miko's weakening defense, his gaze shifted back to see her eyes rounded in wonder as they looked up at him. Though he was used to such revered glances, the demon lord didn't understand what had caused her sudden astonishment. As such, his silver head tilted to the side as his gaze locked on to hers. It was always a wonder what the little onna was thinking. Even after a few short months in her constant presence, Sesshomaru only had a sliver of understanding related to how the girl's mind worked. It would probably take a life time to fully grasp the intricacies of such a complicated onna, and for once the prospect did not sound all together unpleasing…

After centuries of self-imposed stoicism, Sesshomaru found himself feeling rather playful while looking down at his future mate. A beautiful face paired with enchanting eyes and tempting lips stared up at him with her small mouth open like a cute little fish. Indulging in this rare desire to tease, Sesshomaru reached forward as he placed one of his sharp claws on the lush pillow of her lower lip.

"Why so silent, onna? Were you not telling this one why your disrespect was justified?" The deep timber filled Kagome's ears and she wanted to swallow down her nervousness but she couldn't for fear of splitting her lip on his claw! Wasn't he supposed to be mad at her? Was this the calm before the storm? For some reason, Kagome had no confidence that she could handle what would come next so she tried to reason with the inu once again—after today, our little miko would realize reasoning with Sesshomaru in such a state was a fool's errand, and she would continue to play the fool for years to come.

"Sesshomaru, I said I was sorry. Please remember that we aren't the only ones here!" Kagome's voice became higher in pitch and her face flushed red at the thought of her friend's witnessing such a scene, but then something obvious came to mind. Why hadn't her friend's stepped in yet? Sure Sesshomaru was scary, but Inuyasha would have never allowed such an intimate display between her and his half-brother to go uninterrupted.

As if understanding her thoughts, Sesshomaru gave his typical 'Hn,' as if he was agreeing, and Kagome thought she was in the clear. However, her world was quickly thrown into confusion again when the daiyoukai pulled her off the ground and into his lap. There she tried to reorient herself. Kagome could feel the pulse of the well's old magic directly ahead of her and her friend's were gathered a couple yards away. Their faces were all an identical mask of worry but not a single one of them took a step closer to her.

"What…" Kagome looked closer at the odd scene as a shift in the light caught the miko's trained eye. Turning her head with an accusative glare, Kagome accurately analyzed the situation. "You put up a barrier this entire time, didn't you?"

Sesshomaru didn't bother to answer the angry female. Instead, he went back to what he was doing earlier. It was the colder months, just on the edge of winter, so the futuristic miko was wearing an odd garment that covered her neck, something akin to a turtle? No matter, the cloth was forgiving and stretched easily as the daiyoukai sought the same location of his bite mark on the miko's neck. She tried to deny him, but his other arm now served as a constraint as it locked both the female's arms to her sides.

"Sesshomaru!" The miko hissed out in surprise as a cold finger pressed against her pulse point along her neck, making her freeze. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, and after last night she was much more comfortable around him, but just what in the hell was he doing? Almost on reflex to having someone so deadly so close to her vital spot, the miko's reiki rose to the surface of her skin. An annoyance, perhaps, but both sides new that this level of reiki would have little to no affect on Sesshomaru.

"Calm yourself, Miko. This is a lesson." The teasing smirk of the demon lord entered the miko's periphery vision and this only ignited the little female's rebellious side. Instead of behaving, like she probably should, the girl decided to flare a more concentrated blast of reiki around her body. Again, this was a mere annoyance more than anything, but this time the demon lord did not resist the instinct to subdue his defiant alpha bitch.

Bending down to where his regal brow was pressed agains the side of her head, the inu lord took a quick but sharp nip of the miko's delicate ear. He heard her yelp in surprise and probably pain, but, as he said, this was a lesson.

"Stop with your tantrum, onna. This one asked you earlier, do you know the gravity of your own actions?" Sesshomaru pushed his cold nose into Kagome's hair and took a long whiff of the delicate scent of her, but his actions were met with further retaliation, as if the little thing couldn't help but defy him. Shaking her head like a dog, ironic I know, the miko tried to move away from his attention.

"What in the hell are you talking about, Sesshomaru? I bit you, so what? I already apologized. Or is the Puppy Prince too petty to let such a slight go?" Kagome growled in her own human way. This was getting out of hand and the young onna only knew how to handle such situations with sarcasm, a fact she would soon regret.

In a swirl of colors, Kagome found herself once again being maneuvered like a puppet as she was re-situated on the youkai's lap, only now she was facing him. This time, those golden eyes were not warm pools of honey but hardened brass that glinted with displeasure.

"Miko…As a female of this one's pack, do you think you can take such liberties?" Kagome felt the hand at her throat move around the back of her neck, leaving only his clawed thumb to remain in its previous position. The image of Koga being held by the neck flashed through her mind. Not trusting herself enough to speak without her voice failing her, Kagome simply remained quiet and obediently still.

"Ah, little miko." The taunting look returned after witnessing the miko's more submissive demeanor. "This Sesshomaru does not repeat himself, however, for your benefit let us clarify something once more. This is a lesson. Miko, it has come to this one's attention that you are egregiously lacking in knowledge of youkai, and this is a fault that this great one shall rectify." The thumb resting on her neck began to make small strokes along her skin, leaving goosebumps in its tracks.

Seeing her still remaining silent, Sesshomaru decided to push the onna even further. Bringing his face closer to hers, his eyes lowered to where his hand held her thin neck. "Do you know the significance of a bite in such a location, Miko Kagome?" The finger at her neck pushed into her flesh with a small amount of force, but Kagome barely noticed.

He said her name. Sesshomaru had actually said her name! Yeah, he still had Miko in there, but this was the first time she had ever heard her name fall from his lips. She was unprepared for anything Sesshomaru had done since she bit him, but this was the curve ball of the century. How should she respond to that? Her lips suddenly felt dry and her tongue shot out to wet them, and this was all observed by her detainer's observant stare. He was speaking to her again but Kagome honestly could not hear him at the moment as her heartbeat was a deafening roar in her own ears. She wanted to say something, anything, but the thought of how Sesshomaru could also hear her thundering heart made her throat too tight for any words to squeeze out.

It wasn't until she felt another prick of pain that Kagome was jolted out of her frozen state. However, when she realized that prick of pain was not from her ear but her now dully throbbing lips, the poor miko teetered back on to the edge of collapse. Her hands tried to come up and cover her mouth but they were both plastered to her side by Sesshomaru's steely grip. She was about to yell at Sesshomaru to release her when a sudden wet warmth blocked her righteous tirade.

The demon lord caressed the miko's abused flesh with his hot tongue. Apparently, the earlier nip had been harsher than he intended as crimson blood had flowed where his fang nicked the onna's plump lip. The bite had been a reprimand for her earlier behavior and her efforts to resist his hold. It had been calculated, planned, and manageable. But now, as his tongue danced along the pale, pink flesh coated in her decadent blood, Sesshomaru allowed that he may have miscalculated his ability to restrain himself where the miko was concerned—a common occurrence now and forever.

Even after the light wound was healed, Sesshomaru's lips stayed glued to the miko's. At first, it was only the demon lord massaging the miko's lips on his own. Gently, careful not to cut her with his fang once more, Sesshomaru moved his lips against the miko's. He didn't intend for a kiss to happen, he was merely enjoying the feel of his skin on hers, the sweet taste of her, and the indulgent feeling that arose while touching her. It was as if the prince was drunk off her. As he continued his ministrations, Sesshomaru paid no heed to the time or place, but his blissful state of mind was disrupted when the miko began to answer his movements.

It started slow, but the fire quickly built. His lips became more and more demanding but the miko, true to her character, never yielded. A full on fight for dominance transpired as his tongue delved deep into the miko's mouth. Sweet nectar coated his tongue as it danced along with the onna's attempts to keep up with him. Sesshomaru could taste her inexperience as well as her determination, and it only fueled him to command even more of her. The hand that had been holding her neck dove in to her hair as he tilted the female's head to a better position for his attack on her mouth. Soft mewling sounds began to fill his ears as the miko renewed her struggle to free her arms, but this time Sesshomaru allowed it for he knew she was not trying to run away.

As he thought, as soon as her arms were free, both hands sought a place on the demon lord's person. One hand immediately went into his hair, scratching her blunt nails against his scalp as she intwined her fingers around a fistful of his silky hair. The other hand went to cradle the inu's defined jaw. Her finger's fluttering along the edges of his markings. The miko's enthusiasm was contagious as Sesshomaru renewed his efforts to devour her. She tasted of the sweetest ambrosia and the scent of her lust that was invading his mind was damn near stifling.

He had not been in full control on the two occasions in which he had partaken in such activities with the miko, but now he understood fully why his beast wanted to come out to 'play' with her. The miko was a born vixen. Her actions would fluctuate between being sweetly submissive to downright domineering (or trying to be). It was a rare combination, but it suited the miko perfectly. Sesshomaru even found himself allowing her small victories just to see her reactions, yet though she won he was the one who usually received the reward.

Take now, for example, as the onna tried to pay him in kind for his earlier actions and toke hold of his lower lip with her little teeth. She nibbled and sucked on it with her tiny mouth and the feeling of victory made the onna more brazen as she released his flesh to flick her pink tongue along the edge of his fang. As a drop of her blood fell on to his waiting tongue, Sesshomaru returned to the dominant position as he held her tongue captive in his mouth. The blood along with her moans of pleasure excited the daiyoukai, but he knew they could not go much farther.

Instead, Sesshomaru reluctantly released his hold on the miko's mouth and moved his face to her neck. Here, he pulled back the onna's collar as he became more focused on his next target. This had been the plan all along. A languid lick of his tongue as he grazed his fangs along the pale column of her throat earned a gasp and a shiver from the miko, but she once again returned the favor in kind as she turned her head slightly to lick the underside of the markings on his upturned cheek. Sesshomaru paused briefly as he repressed a pleasurable groan from escaping his parted lips. Oh, yes. The miko was indeed a born vixen. It was too sad their play time was over. One more lick over the onna's pounding pulse and then retribution came to our lovely miko. Sharp teeth dug into soft skin as the miko arched back in a silent scream.

Kagome felt the tears flood her eyes as she held back a sob. She could guess why Sesshomaru bit her, she knew he was a petty person and that this was some form of sick revenge, but damn did it hurt. Not only did it hurt, it burned! Heat radiated from the spot where the unperturbed demon continued to lap at her now wounded flesh and it was making Kagome dizzy. A needy moan fell from her throat as Sesshomaru finally pulled away and a mortified miko blushed scarlet at his smug smile.

"Hmm," Was all he said as his still golden eyes flashed with arrogant male pride. It should have made Kagome even angrier, but she became embarrassed instead. Why? Well, for one, she was the one who bit him first. Second, she was the one who got herself into this mess in the first place by not only tackling him earlier but also returning his advances. Third, and most damning, she had enjoyed every last second it.

Kagome was no fool nor was she a prude. She had just experienced a mind-blowing kiss with an ethereal beauty, a god-like assassin, a fuck-a-licious male. What was there to be mad about this time? It had been done with her full knowledge and consent. It would be unfair to be angry with him, even if the bite had been a little aggressive. Plus, Kagome's blush deepened when she saw the unmistakable hunger deep within Sesshomaru's eyes. It looks like she wasn't the only one who enjoyed themselves.

"Is this your preferred teaching method, Sesshomaru-sensei?" Kagome taunted as a mischievous smile tugged at her lips. She was embarrassed, sure, but she had never gotten to see this side of Sesshomaru before and the miko still wanted to play.

Surprised by her brazen behavior, but also pleased, a roughish smirk answered her. "Hn, this one's teaching methods are all dependent on the student, Miko. However," He reached up to push a small tendril of his silken hair off his shoulder. "From now on this method can and will be reserved for you." Kagome gasped at how Sesshomaru returned her taunt with such confidence. She really hadn't expected him to respond to her jest and not only did he respond he knocked her flat on her ass!

Kagome's face burned with embarrassment at what such words implied. Half of her wanted to jump up in excitement at the possibility of another make-out session with him but the other became nervous at what such a promise pertained. She didn't really have time to worry over either option at the moment though, as a sting of pain caught her attention.

Looking down, Kagome saw Sesshomaru eyeing the mark on her neck with a strange look as his finger traced the slightly raised bite mark. When his eyes moved back to hers the profound light was gone and replaced with seriousness.

"Miko, do you know the significance of a bite mark along the neck for youkai?" Sesshomaru's voice was now very much like a teacher but Kagome couldn't bring herself to respond lightly by calling him sensei again. Sensing that the real lesson had begun, the ex-student sat a little straighter and shook her head no. How could she know about something like that? All she really knew about youkai was to watch her neck around most of them.

"For most youkai, a bite mark in this particular location," Sesshomaru smoothed his hand over the side of her neck so that his palm rested directly over his bite mark. "To a youkai, such a mark is perceived as a sign of ownership. Of mating." Kagome caught the darkening of the youkai's eyes and she finally had a grasp of what he meant by his earlier question, and the answer was a resolute no, she absolutely did not understand the gravity of her actions.

"Um.. ah, I'm sorry?" Kagome could only mutter a half assed apology before pure panic filled her. "Wait a god damn doggy minute! We aren't mated right!" Kagome temporarily lost her mind as her human hands turned into claws and proceeded to dig into the daiyoukai's shoulders. Her desperation filled the air and Sesshomaru gave into a different temptation he constantly fought in this particular onna's presence, he rolled his eyes.

Picking up the tiny female under her arms, the demon lord stood so that they were both facing each other. The entire time, the miko's startled cobalt blues remained fixed on him, not allowing him to avoid answering her inane question.

"Do you truly believe that this Sesshomaru would mate you without your knowledge nor consent of such an act? Do you believe this Western Lord to be without honor, Miko?" That damn brow arched down at her to imply the utter stupidity such a question pertained and Kagome blushed as she peeled her fingers out from the daiyoukai's silk haori.

"Of course you have honor, Sesshomaru." Kagome huffed. "I just wanted to make sure." The little miko pouted out her cheeks as she looked everywhere but at the male in front of her.

The demon lord watched as the miko became even more flustered. This entire exchange had been rather unexpected and filled with surprises, so he shouldn't be shocked that the little onna continued to go against his expectations. He had thought she would be angry or distant, if the last two occurrences were any reference, but the miko seemed to feel no aversion to his person whatsoever. What a strange and fickle little creature.

"Of course a mating would consist of something more elaborate than a simple bite, Miko." Sesshomaru's haughty demeanor was back full force as he crossed his arms to stare down at the onna who still refused to look at him. It wasn't until he said this that her curiosity caught the best of her and those lovely eyes sought him once again.

"More elaborate. Like what?" Kagome's face was filled with innocent curiosity. It was such a pure look that it would make many willing to die in order to protect it. For a demon like him, however, it only triggered his desire to toy with his prey.

"Hm, what do you humans do after your mating ceremonies have come to fruition?" Gold met blue as Kagome pondered over his question. Mating ceremony would mean a wedding right? You have the rings, which would work as the mark exchange supposedly. Then you have the ceremony itself, but he specifically asked about what happens after the ceremony. That could only mean… the wedding night.

Sesshomaru watched with concealed amusement as the miko's face went from pink to a crimson. He could even feel the heat coming off her skin. Why was the miko so bashful? He knew she was no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh, in no small part due to his efforts, so why did she turn red as a persimmon each time such subjects were brought up? A breathy chuckle was impossible to contain.

"Let us depart. Your comrades are waiting for you." Sesshomaru began to walk when he was once again grabbed by the flustered female. The demon lord was pleased the miko no longer shied away from him, but he will have to teach her she cannot continue to take liberties with his person at her leisure. A thought him and his beast would argue over at a later time.

"Oh my god! We just did all of that in front of them. They saw us!" Kagome's eyes glossed over with tears of horror. How could she have done something so shameful? This was it. She was gonna die of embarrassment at this moment. So long dear friends. I know I promised to fight by your sides against Naraku, but I no longer have the right to do so…

As the miko wailed her internal obituary, Sesshomaru watched as tears of what he assumed was shame fell down her pink cheeks. This had been fun in the beginning, but now the demon lord was growing tired of her ever shifting emotions. It would be best if he just put her mind at ease.

"Cease your blubbering onna. Your comrades saw nothing." Sesshomaru waited for his words to register. At first they had no immediate impact, but as the miko calmed she brought up two fists to rub the remaining tears out of her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She grumbled. Her illuminating gaze stood out in contrast to the puffy red skin surrounding her eyes. It made her look pitiful and this time Sesshomaru decided the time for teasing was long gone.

"This Sesshomaru's barrier is special. It froze the image at the time it was erected. For the length of this endeavor, the only thing those outside the barrier saw was you sitting astride this Sesshomaru." The demon lord sounded slightly annoyed by having to explain himself out loud but it was worth it as the miko's aura immediately began to settle.

"Sheesh, you could have said so earlier. I was about to commit seppuku (samurai suicide) right here and now." Kagome gave a watery laugh as she finally calmed down. Really, the big brute should have said something. Why did he always have to go overboard? That reminded her…

"Oh yeah, I get why you did it, but did you have to bite so damn hard? I couldn't possibly have hurt you so don't you think this is a little unfair? I mean, give and take is fine but come on." Kagome winced as she brushed her hand against her bruised neck while looking wronged.

Sesshomaru looked down at the tiny female who was going right back to challenging him. It must be in her blood as a miko because in all the years he had walked this Earth, no onna had ever been this determined to defy him. Not even male youkai dared challenge him so openly on such a consistent basis. Let alone a human onna. If this was a few months prior, the girl would already be dead, but now? A ghost of a smile pulled at his lips.

"You will do well to remember, Miko," Sesshomaru said as he walked past the sulking miko and proceeded towards the center of the clearing. "With this Sesshomaru it is never give and take. It is simply take and then take even more. Be more prepared next time you wish to make this Sesshomaru your opponent." The demon lord sealed his lesson with a feral smile thrown over his shoulder, one that spoke of his anticipation for her future challenge and the 'lesson' he would get to teach her when she inevitably failed.

* * *

"What the fuck is taking so long?" Inuyasha howled as he paced back and forth in front of the well. None of them could get near Kagome thanks to that bastard's barrier so all they could do was wait. Which was not something Inuyasha excelled at doing.

"Would you stop your barking already! And quite your pacing while you're at it. You're making me edgy." Sango put her hands on her hips as she yelled at the irritated hanyou. Really, they were all worried about Kagome but him being an ass was not helping.

"You should be edgy! Kagome's alone with that bastard. He could kill her!" Inuyasha retaliated. Why were they all so damn calm? Even Koga was no longer kicking up a fuss.

"Lord Sesshomaru would never hurt Oka-san!" A little voice plucked up enough courage to voice her opinion. A small head poked out from behind Ah Un's meaty legs with a pout on her adorable face. Rin had the utmost faith in her Lord and she didn't like everyone doubting his honor.

"Keh, what does a brat like you understand." Inuyasha dismissed the little girl with a flick of his hand before he crossed both arms inside his sleeves.

"Inuyasha!" Two voices scolded him in unison making his doggy ears twitch. The culprits, Sango and Miroku, were now glaring at him heavily. "Inuyasha," Miroku proceed in a much less threatening manner than Sango would have as he walked over to rest a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Little lady Rin is correct. Due to the spell, Sesshomaru-sama is currently incapable of killing Lady Kagome. I doubt he would even be able to raise a threatening finger against her if he wanted to." Not that he would want to, Miroku finished his thought silently. He had seen the demon lord's face the second before the barrier rose. Not a trace of anger was present. Although, the monk nearly blushed while remembering the heated look the daiyoukai had fixated on their miko, that didn't mean other 'dangers' weren't present.

Truthfully, even Miroku was feeling perturbed at the length of time in which the two had remained behind the barrier, but as the voice of reason his job was to comfort his pack mates not burden them with his lecherous perceptions. "I would wager that Lady Kagome is merely receiving a thorough scolding." (Insert perverted images curtesy of Miroku). "They will probably join us momentarily."Miroku was truly a levelheaded genius when he needed to be and sometimes he just needed to speak and the outcome would occur. Like now, for instance.

The group felt an odd sensation as if there was a shift in the wind and when they all turned around, Sesshomaru stood only a few feet away with Kagome not far behind him.

"Mama!"

"Lord Sesshomaru, Oka-san!"

Both Rin and Shippo had been away from their respective parental figures for what felt like forever so little could stop them as they bounded their way towards the two. No one tried to stop them either, as Rin ran over to cling to Lord Sesshomaru's leg and Shippo jumped into Kagome's embrace. They all just stared at the happy little reunion for a few peaceful moments before someone had to ruin it by speaking. Surprisingly, it wasn't either of the usual suspects.

"Kagome-chan, what happened to your face?" Sango's voice was filled with sisterly concern over the blooming black and blue flower on her friend's cheek. As a warrior from birth, the slayer could clearly tell the bruise was at least a few hours old, and she could also tell that it had been done with quite some force but not near the amount a youkai's fist would inflict. As such, she knew Sesshomaru wasn't the culprit. Alas, others weren't as keen as her on these matters.

"You mother fucking bastard. I knew you would hurt her!" Inuyasha leapt into the air. There was no time for anyone to stop him, but there was someone who could block him. A burst of pink light signaled the use of reiki and just before Inuyasha could come into contact with his half-brother he ran face first into a reiki wall of glass.

"Gah!" Inuyasha fell on his ass a few feet away. "Kagome why did you do that? It hurts like a bitch!" The hanyou rubbed his sore cheek with a dissatisfied expression. Why was Kagome suddenly on that bastard's side?

"Sorry, Yasha. I didn't mean for it to hurt but that was the only way I could stop you before another useless fight started." Her eyes roamed over to where Koga now stood. She sighed in relief when she realized he was ok and most of his injuries had already healed.

"What do you mean useless? That bastard hurt you Kagome! Just look at your face. It looks awful." Inuyasha was whining but this was a familiar scene for ever person present.

"Well thanks, Inuyasha. I'm glad to hear that my face looks repulsive." Kagome puffed out her cheeks before quickly blowing out the air in a hiss of pain. Yeah, her cheek still hurt so she could only imagine how bad it looked to all of them.

"That's not. I didn't.. Ugh, you know that's not what I meant! You look… I mean your face isn't…" The poor hanyou stuttered as he was unprepared for Kagome's previous response. It was kinda cute so the miko decided to let her best friend off the hook.

"I know. I know. Calm down already. I'm not mad." Kagome laughed and the people around her slowly relaxed at the sound. "The fight would have still been useless as Sesshomaru wasn't the one who caused this." Kagome pointed at her cheek as she walked the rest of the way over to her friends. She quickly gave Sango a side hug with the arm that was not holding Shippo.

"If he didn't then who did?" It wasn't Inuyasha who asked, though he wanted to, but a certain wolf prince. Weary eyes flickered between the demon lord and the miko as he dared not to get too close but he still wanted an answer. Who had the balls to hurt his woman?

"Uh.." Kagome looked at Koga's slowly approaching figure and absentmindedly commended his bravery. Shooting a warning look to the daiyoukai whose stoic face was glaring coldly at Koga, she turned back to the group with a forced smile.

"It was just an accident. So why are you here Koga?" Blue eyes ghosted over another uninvited guest behind Inuyasha before they fixed on their strongest ally (besides Sesshomaru). It wasn't uncommon for Koga to meet up with them on occasion, but the tension that saturated the air upon their arrival was too foreboding. Something was up.

Everyone looked at their little miko with mixed reactions. Inuyasha scoffed and decided he would find out the answer he needed later, a decision similar to that of Sango and Miroku who shrugged off Kagome's lie with ease. Shippo also ignored it as he tried to comfort her without words be rubbing his chubby chibi cheek against her uninjured one. Rin left Sesshomaru's side in favor of clinging to Kagome's leg as she reached up to take her new Oka-san's hand as her own method of comfort. Kikyo looked uninterested in the matter all together. So this just left Koga feeling unreconciled. He couldn't just pick a fight right then and there, he still remembered the outcome from last time he had done that, so all he could do was roll his eyes at the forced smile on the little onna's face. Really, who was she kidding? He put a hand on his hip as he shook his head in resignation. Then the atmosphere became serious as he made eye contact with Inuyasha. Getting the message, Inuyasha sighed as he scratched awkwardly at the back of his head before turning to face Kagome head on.

"It's time, Kagome." His words could mean a plethora of things, but in truth it could only really hold one meaning. The one thing that Kagome had been waiting for but still hoped would never come. The one thing that sent a shiver of both fear and determination through her body. The one thing that marked the end but also the beginning.

"Naraku?" No one had to confirm it verbally but she needed to hear the words spoken out loud.

"Yeah." Inuyasha stepped forward and the weight of all those years of shard hunting and friendship fell like a bolder on to her chest. The pain, the love, the life they had shared together was all in preparation for this moment. Things hadn't always gone according to plan. Actually, they never went according to plan, but still, they made it. Kagome felt raw emotion mounting within her as she watched the hardened amber eyes draw closer as her best friend approached her. This was it.

Once Inuyasha stood before her, he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. A meaningful squeeze and words that would forever remain unspoken passed between them, the friends that had defied the boundary of time.

"Tomorrow" Inuyasha looked into the kind gaze of his first friend, of the first person who had opened their heart to him with no resignation or prejudice, of his precious Kagome. How could he ask such a gentle creature to be a part of what was to come? Regardless of her strength, Kagome was a gentle soul, not suited for the battlefield. Yet, Inuyasha saw no hesitance in those big, blue eyes, just acceptance. Like always.

"Tomorrow we fight."

* * *

**AN: There you go guys! Thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, I love to hear what you guys think and I appreciate every single one of you that took the time to leave me a review!**

**P.S. I'm thinking of doing a little Christmas bonus for ya'll, but only if you want, of course. The thing is, I need your help to do it. I would like to do a little side chapter for this story, it could be from any point/situation within the story or just something to do with this story in general. Just leave a review with what you would like it to center around and I will choose one to release as an extra chapter before Christmas! But for this to work I will need to hear ya'll's ideas in the next few days! If you don't want to post them on the reviews, feel free to message me privately instead!**

**All ideas are welcome! Happy Holidays :)**


	12. The Love Spell: Merry Christmas

**++++This short takes place right after Kagome and Sesshomaru's heart-to-heart in Chapter 10 and right before they go back to the feudal era.**

After their talk, Kagome was feeling much better about being around Sesshomaru. She would almost admit to feeling comfortable. He had allowed her to ask all her questions and now that unsettling feeling that clawed at her heart whenever she was around him was gone. She could finally breath in the youkai's presence. She was so carefree in fact, while she was making sure she had everything she needed for the trip she found herself humming along to one of her favorite songs during this time of year, Santa Baby.

"Miko, from what tune do you hum?" Sesshomaru sat on the miko's bed without his armor. She didn't know when, but at one point in the night he had ditched the cold metal and placed it in the well house. It made the daiyoukai's lean figure more noticeable and the graceful lines of his body had an odd sensuality to them as they laid beneath the pure, white silk. _Get your mind out of the gutter Kagome! _Its not like you need more incentive to think about those strong arms holding you all… _Stop it! _

Kagome laughed off her embarrassment at her own impropriety and she answered Sesshomaru's question. "Ah, it's a Christmas song…" Seeing the blank look on the demon lord's face, Kagome remembered that Sesshomaru would have no idea what she meant by 'Christmas.' "Well, you see, Christmas was originally a religious holiday celebrated in the West but today it is more for couples, at least in Japan. It's actually really fun and just so happens to be my my favorite holiday!" The little miko's eyes lit up like Christmas lights as an enthusiastic smile bloomed across her pretty face. "Christmas has a lot of cool traditions like decorating the Christmas tree, giving presents to your loved ones…" Kagome stuck a finger to her chin and plopped down on the bed across from Sesshomaru as she tried to remember some of the more basic traditions of the western holiday. "Oh, and baking cookies for Santa Claus! I love icing gingerbread men but my mom insists that Santa's favorite cookie are oatmeal raisin (which coincidently were her grandfather's favorite…)."

Excited blue eyes returned from her reminiscing of Christmas' past to find a very perplexed daiyoukai. He had looked at her like this a number of times over the course of their time together and Kagome knew exactly what this particular look meant. (1) Sesshomaru didn't have a clue what she was talking about, and (2) because the 'all-knowing' lord didn't know what she was talking about he assumed she was crazy. In an attempt to defend herself, the miko gave a slightly longer and more thorough explanation of what she knew to be 'Christmas,' but that damn look never left the youkai's face.

"Miko, you humans not only allow, but encourage, this strange magical being's entry into your homes? All in the hope that this 'Santa Kurousu' will be merciful and leave gifts behind without reason or motive except for the mere enticement of baked sweets?" The 'look' now appeared permanently etched into the daiyoukai's stone mask and Kagome was helpless to the fit of giggles that chimed like bells in her amusement at the youkai's rendition of 'Christmas.' It did sound absurd when he put it that way.

"No, Sesshomaru, contrary to what you might believe humans aren't that foolish. At least, not all of them." Kagome laughed as she nervously fiddled with the small bag she had snagged of the ground. She agonized over this little bag for an entire day before Sesshomaru showed up but now it seemed like fate was giving her a nudge in a certain direction. "Um, Santa isn't really the one's who brings the gifts, that's just a story for children. For adults, you receive gifts from your relatives, coworkers and friends, or even you lover…" Kagome's face flushed a Merry Christmas red as she shoved the small bag in the confused inu's face. Seeing what was presented to him, Sesshomaru paused as his usually quick witted mouth became dry. He was a smart youkai so he could connect the dots. The miko was presenting him with a gift, and what did she just say? That adults receive their gifts from family, something called a 'coworker' and comrades, and finally 'lovers.' Under which pretext was this gift being given to him?

The daiyoukai's sculpted brow arched slightly as his surprise was too much to endure as he hesitantly took the offered object from a crimson faced miko.** We would rather she be the gift that needs unwrapping. **_Quiet! _Sesshomaru scolded his beast who was urging him to claw the odd paper material to shreds in order to discover what lie hidden beneath. However, Sesshomaru refrained as he was still the stuck up, posh Western Lord who knew how to show decorum even if his beast was hoping around like an excited puppy in his cage.

Glancing up, Sesshomaru caught the uncertainty in the miko's glittering eyes and he could scent her nervousness. Was she perhaps worried that he would reject her gift? That he would not like it? Did she really think he was that crass? He was already honored that the onna would think to procure him a gift in the first place. It wasn't like he had done anything to really deserve it.. In fact, wouldn't this gift just put him more in the miko's debt?

"You're supposed to open it." Kagome's voice was barely over a whisper. Gods, she was mortified. Why was he just staring at it? Feeling her flustered nerves become the epitome of frenzied, the brazen little miko reached out, took the daiyoukai's much larger hand in her own, and dove their interlaced fingers into the confines of the red and green tissue paper. Sesshomaru's eyes widened at her assertiveness but he didn't comment as he proceeded with what he assumed was the correct course of action. Just as Kagome was pulling her hand out of the bag, Sesshomaru's fingers encountered something wooden. He pulled the heavier than expected object out of the bag to find a simple wooden box.

He could feel the miko's nervousness as it soured her pleasant scent, and in an attempt to purify her soothing smell of the abnormality the daiyoukai quickly lifted the lid to the box. Inside, Sesshomaru saw a tea cup. The traditional cup was a magnificent work of craftsmanship as its glazed surface glistened like a gem. Picking it up out of the box, Sesshomaru's face became oddly gentle when he saw a design that proved the miko had truly picked out this gift with him in mind—not just given him some leftovers in return for saving her the night before. The cup itself was died in a rich royal blue that encircled the bottom before fading to white as it reached the rim of the cup and on its side was a silver crescent moon.

The silence was killing Kagome as she watched Sesshomaru examine the cup unblinking eyes. Honestly, it wasn't that expensive. It was just something she saw in a shop window while she was looking for gifts for the gang and it made her think of him as it sat on its display, beautiful and alone. She had bought it without a second of hesitation but she gave herself a migraine just thinking about actually giving the demon lord the gift. She had no clue how he would react. He was the Western Lord for gods' sake, doesn't that mean he was used to receiving literal treasures for presents? A cold sweat began to slide down her back as the daiyoukai sat on her bed, unmoving, as he stared at the cup. Thinking that she needed to break the silence, Kagome said the first thing that came to mind.

"There's more." Kagome couldn't wait for the demon lord as she reached into the bag sitting on his lap and pulled out an unassuming tin container. She ignored his heavy stare as she unhooked the container's lid, allowing the demon to smell the rich scent.

"Matcha?" Sesshomaru's deep voice was filled with something Kagome was unprepared for, emotion. The miko realized that the youkai wasn't even trying to hide how he was feeling in this moment as she met his golden gaze. She saw everything from confusion and hesitancy to genuine gratitude and what Kagome even dared to call affection? The look was so unguarded that the little onna nearly dropped the canister in surprise. Luckily, a strong hand caught her and continued her hold her steady, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.

"Yeah," Kagome's blush deepened and her voice remained soft. "Rin said it was your favorite. The cup, too. That was because I noticed we didn't have enough tea cups in our travel set. I thought you might like one of your own and, well, I just thought it would suit you." Her skin was burning. Kagome couldn't even look at him anymore so she tried to pull her hands back only to be met with resistance.

"Thank you, Miko." The daiyoukai matched her softly spoken ramble with a deep rumble of his own. The timber of his voice making Kagome's stomach knot in an unfamiliar way. A devilish smirk and smiling eyes watched as the onna fumbled out of his grip and out of the bed they had shared the night previous. She slung the heavy travel pack on to her back and, after taking his cup and tea away and repacking them, she made her way towards her bedroom door. He was going to tease her a little more when she turned around with the most adorable expression the daiyoukai had ever seen. Yes, the killing machine actually thought the human was **_adorable_**. Pink cheeks, shimmering blue eyes that darted from his face to the floor and back, and lips that barely formed a small, gentle smile.

"Merry Christmas, Sesshomaru." The demon lord could not respond in jest as the onna's disposition left him and his beast breathless. Such a divine creature and she was his to mate. The thought alone was enough to make Sesshomaru forget his long held attitude towards humans wherever she was concerned. For him, the miko was a unique and unparalleled existence, much like himself.

Recomposing his stoic facade, the daiyoukai followed after his little miko. She had told her family farewell earlier in the morning before they departed for their respective duties so neither of them bothered to hid his presence. They could just walk out the front door and be on the merry way, and they would have too, if something strange hadn't caught the demon lord's eye. "Miko. Is this another of your Christmas traditions?" A clawed finger reached over Kagome's head as it pointed to the door frame.

Confused eyes darted up but upon recognizing the foreign object they quickly darted back down. _How come Mama had to hang that thing this year of all years? _She merely nodded her head as she tried to keep walking but a hand suddenly caught the back of her turtleneck. "Eeep" Kagome squealed as she floundered backwards the few steps she had managed to take before being caught in her attempt to flee.

"Miko, what is this strange plant? Is it an herb? Why does this Sesshomaru have no knowledge of such a plant? The smell is quite peculiar." Sesshomaru took a noticeable sniff. "Almost like pine yet sweeter, perhaps floral in nature?" The daiyoukai's big silver head tilted to the side as he looked at his miko master for guidance to the foreign custom. Kagome groaned at the onslaught of questions but she was the instigator for telling him about Christmas in the first place, she couldn't just stop answering his questions now? Maybe if he was someone else she could, but with a curious Inu Lord Kagome was sure that the avoidance route was no longer an option.

"It's called mistletoe," The miko mumbled reluctantly. "I don't really know much about it except that it is hung in doorways durning the Christmas season." Kagome hoped that would be enough information to sate the beast, but of course it was not.

"Does it serve a purpose?" Sesshomaru stepped closer so he was only half a foot away from Kagome's back, the back she refused to turn around. If she was going to say what she had to say it would not be while she was looking at him! She just couldn't handle that right after giving him a present. He might think she was after something.

"I guess you could say that. The tradition is that if two people are caught under the mistletoe they are expected to kiss. It's silly really, most people just ignore it unless they are involved…" Kagome froze as a cold finger hooked underneath her chin from behind and lifted her face to meet two narrowed pools of gold.

"Have you partaken in this tradition, Miko?" Sesshomaru's voice was as cold as the winter breeze blowing on her cheek and Kagome couldn't suppress the shiver that descended her spine. His voice was so cold yet his eyes were burning her. She shook her head to the best of her ability, and the response seemed to satisfy the demon as the fire receded but that didn't stop the heat from lingering under her skin.

"Hn," The daiyoukai's possessiveness died down to a certain degree but the mental image of his miko kissing some stranger simply because a plant decreed it be done was absurd to the highest degree. If anyone was to partake in such a tradition with his miko it should be him…

As Kagome tried to calm her racing heart, her vision began to darken as an encroaching shadow moved over her face. Startled eyes locked on the approaching demon before instinct told her to shut her eyes tight. Oh gods, was he about to do what she thought he was going to do? Her suspicions were confirmed and denied when a pair of cold, soft lips brushed against her forehead.

Opening her eyes once again, Kagome saw the inhumanely beautiful face of a certain daiyoukai smirking at her. His thumb moved from the side of her face to the side of her neck as he lowered his head once again, this time going for her ear.

"Merry Christmas, Miko. Did you hope there would be more to your present?" His hot breath tickled her ear and ignited the fire in her heart, but this time it wasn't the fire's of attraction. Oh no, our miko was pissed. Pushing him away with all her strength and just a touch of reiki, Kagome escaped his grasp and began marching in the direction of the well house, all the while grumbling her grievances.

"Present my ass, you damn dog. Your next _present_ will be a collar to match Inuyasha's!" Sesshomaru chuckled as he admired the onna's retreating form, prompting the demon to agree with the miko's statement. _Such an ass makes a mighty fine present. _**Indeed.**

**—Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays to all my beloved readers!—**


	13. The Love Spell: Chapter 12

"It's time, Kagome." Inuyasha's words could mean a plethora of things, but in truth it could only really hold one meaning. The one thing that Kagome had been waiting for but still hoped would never come. The one thing that sent a shiver of both fear and determination through her body. The one thing that marked the end but also the beginning.

"Naraku?" No one had to confirm it verbally but she needed to hear the words spoken out loud.

"Yeah." Inuyasha stepped forward and the weight of all those years of shard hunting and friendship fell like a bolder on to her chest. The pain, the love, the life they had shared together was all in preparation for this moment. Things hadn't always gone according to plan. Actually, they never went according to plan, but still, they made it. Kagome felt raw emotion mounting within her as she watched the hardened amber eyes draw closer as her best friend approached her. This was it.

Once Inuyasha stood before her, he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. A meaningful squeeze and words that would forever remain unspoken passed between them, the friends that had defied the boundary of time.

"Tomorrow" Inuyasha looked into the kind gaze of his first friend, of the first person who had opened their heart to him with no resignation or prejudice, of his precious Kagome. How could he ask such a gentle creature to be a part of what was to come? Regardless of her strength, Kagome was a gentle soul, not suited for the battlefield. Yet, Inuyasha saw no hesitance in those big, blue eyes, just acceptance. Like always.

"Tomorrow we fight."

**…**

Kagome sat by the fire with a blank look in her eyes as she watched the stew she was making for everyone come to a boil. They had spent the entire day discussing things like battle strategies and fighting tactics but it still didn't feel real to her. She still couldn't believe the war they had been racing towards all these years was right before her eyes, that by tomorrow's end their battle would be over—win or lose.

The day began, after a very tense gathering of the allies, with Kagome and Sesshomaru being informed of what transpired during their absence. In the two short days Kagome was at home, Naraku managed to to find the last remaining jewel shard, leaving a jewel-less Kohaku to be abandoned with just enough energy to seek out Kikyo and tell the dead priestess about his plans before dying at her feet. It was tragic but Kohaku's sacrifice granted them with the knowledge necessary to prevent a catastrophe from occurring.

Apparently, tomorrow was a special day, a 'holy' day, where the heavens will be in alignment causing both the sun and the moon to appear in the sky at the same time. This celestial event will serve as the medium for which Naraku plans to take all of Japan under his control. By using Byakuya's dream casting, Naraku plans to place everyone, youkai and human alike, under a permanent illusion, an enforced dream that will seep into the very conciseness of all living things and steal away the people's free will. All will live and breath to serve Naraku's every whim. In the bastard's own words, "I will be their one and only. Their everything. Their god."

In this state, if Naraku was to appear before them, nothing would stop them from falling to their knees and offering the last few shards of the Shikon Jewel to him. The spider would then be able to restore the Jewel and make his final wish, whatever that could be.

A shiver of fear raked down Kagome's spine. It was simply too evil for her to have ever considered the possibility of such a plan, but that just showed how naive the miko truly was. Evil was not Naraku. Naraku was evil. Pure evil without a flicker of light to penetrate the abysmal chasm of his corrupted soul. It was with this final realization that Kagome's stare hardened with resolution. Naraku could not be allowed to succeed. He could not be allowed to live.

"Kagome-chan?" Sango sat down next to Kagome and put an arm around her shoulder. The shock brought Kagome back to the present and an overwhelming sense of guilt flooded her.

"Oh Sango." How could Kagome forget that although her concerns were legitimate there was someone who probably needed her more than anything at the moment. She flung her arms around the older woman's shoulders and they both began to cry. It was amazing sometimes, how just being in your loved one's arms could bring the strongest to their knees or tears to their eyes.

A moment passed and the two onna regained a semblance of composure. Kagome's heart was breaking with the loss of Kohaku so she could only imagine what her dear friend was going through. The mere thought of losing her own little Souta had her heart screaming in agony and nearly paralyzed her but here her friend was, preparing for war on the eve of her brother's death. Kagome almost couldn't bear looking at Sango, the warrior who wore her heartbreak like another layer of armor, holding her anger like a blade in her steely gaze, and bearing her family's legacy all alone on her shoulders.

"Thank you, Kagome-chan. I…I will be okay. I knew this was coming even if it was a little sooner than we thought. I just, I just" Sango scrunched her eyes shut like she was already in the midst of an internal battle before opening her eyes and staring straight into Kagome's soul.

"He needs to pay, Kagome. I need to see him dead." Those usually gentle eyes blazed with an anger that transpired anything Kagome had ever known. The loathing hatred filled her friend's gaze and the miko's heart broke. Sango's eyes were desperate but controlled, like she was using every ounce of her energy to withhold her grief and remain focused on what needs to be done. Sango was a warrior, battle flowed in her blood, so she knew the danger of succumbing to her personal feelings at this crucial moment, but that did not stop the pain from gripping her heart.

"You will, Sango. We will get justice for Kohaku, for your entire family, and for any who have fallen due to Naraku's fiendish schemes." The miko's vow was spoken in a voice her friends had never heard before. A voice of conviction that was whispered but could be heard for miles. It was an oath that they all swore in allegiance with her.

Nodding her head, Sango wiped away her tears. "Hm, we still need to have the funeral. Kikyo-san brought him back early this morning so we haven't had the time and I, I wanted you here with me." Sango admitted to the girl she saw as her sister. She needed Kagome with her to give her strength that no one else in their pack, not even Miroku, could offer when she finally let go of her departed brother, the last of her blood-related family.

"Of course. I will always be with you." Kagome rubbed her forehead against Sango's before they both stood and made their way over to the Goshinboku where Kohaku's body laid like he was sleeping. Kikyo had used her reiki to place a barrier around the body so the few hours that had passed left no signs of death on the deceased and she claimed that it even held the soul within so Sango could truly say good-bye to the boy instead of just his body. This act of thoughtfulness made even Kagome thankful to the walking clay pot and she nodded her head in gratitude as she passed the priestess to stand next to Sango. Miroku and Inuyasha had dug a grave before Kagome and Sesshomaru arrived back in the Feudal Era so all that was left was the wrapping of the body and the final good-bye.

Everyone stood around in various stages of mourning. Rin was crying loudly despite valiant efforts not to and Shippo held her hand like a proper big brother as he tried to calm his friend despite the tears trailing his own chubby little cheeks. Inuyasha stood by Kikyo's side with a grim look on his face that he only wore when the hanyou was truly upset and trying to conceal his more powerful emotions. Miroku stood just behind Sango, the face of a senior maintaining his composure in an effort to be strong for his loved ones. Kagome had no doubt that Miroku was doing his best to support Sango with everything he had without saying it outright. He knew that she would go to him when she was ready, most likely after the battle. It was a pain in Kagome's chest knowing that her strong sister, the one standing and fighting beside her for four years, was now postponing her personal grief for a battle. Tears came unbidden and they flowed unimpeded as Kagome bit her lip to keep herself from wailing like Rin. There was no place for her tears tonight. If Sango wasn't going to cry then Kagome for sure as hell couldn't.

Sesshomaru was also there, standing silently and respectfully off to the side. He had known Kohaku, even saved him once in the past, but his heart was not bleeding for the youth. No, his heart was in an iron vice because of the pain the loss of this boy caused his future mate. As Kagome cried, Sesshomaru's beast growled and barked and told Sesshomaru to make it all better but what could he do? This was not his place, a human funeral. He could not go to her side and comfort her like he wanted to and something told Sesshomaru that the inu way of comforting would not be welcomed at the moment. No, this was the human way. They mourn, they cry, and they move on. That is how it was meant to be.

Just as Sesshomaru watched the slayer lovingly begin to wrap the boy in a burial cloth, an unexpected pulse of youki caught his intention. A side glance downwards and Sesshomaru felt it once more. _Tenseiga_?

That couldn't be possible. The boy had been dead for several hours now, how could his soul… Just then Sesshomaru remembered what the dead priestess had said. Her barrier held the soul within the body so the slayer could have a true farewell to the boy. Did that mean it was possible? Could Tenseiga be telling him to save the boy?

A regal arch of his brow was answered by another more powerful pulse of energy from Tenseiga. Sango was nearly done wrapping the boy in the white cloth with the miko's aid, but that did not stop Sesshomaru from acting on his instincts. Walking forward, Sesshomaru drew his fang.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Kagome croaked through her tears. Everything had been progressing smoothly but now she was forced to watch the Demon Lord walk towards Kohaku's lifeless form like King Yama himself. Just what in the hell was he thinking?

Sango also froze momentarily when she turned to see the same sight that had puzzled Kagome, but her reaction was much more violent. Anger flared to life in her brown eyes as she spread her arms out wide and gnashed her teeth as the merciless youkai. "Stay away from him."

The protective instinct in Sango was roaring and Sesshomaru could understand her reasoning. The boy had been like a child in some ways to the slayer so her response was predictable. However, instead of answering her, Sesshomaru held his glowing blade out to hover closer to the body, only to find exactly what he was looking for.

"Oi, bastard. Back off before I make you back off." Inuyasha growled and even the ever calm Miroku wore his aggression openly, but like usual Sesshomaru ignored the hanyou's ravings.

"Slayer, do you wish to see your brother live once more?" Sesshomaru's voice was monotone but it caught everyone's attention. They all mimicked each other's dubious expressions as they stared blankly at the daiyoukai. Again, a predictable response, but not the one Sesshomaru was seeking.

"Sesshomaru, are you saying you can…" Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat as she put a hand on Sango's shoulder. "You can bring Kohaku back?" Sesshomaru watched as the desire to believe in him manifested in the miko's eyes. She wanted him to save her friend, so that is what this Sesshomaru shall do.

"Hn." Was all he said as he took a step forward but was stopped by a snarling hanyou.

"Bullshit. Just what are you up to jackass?" Inuyasha wasn't going to allow his bastard of a brother any closer to the human members of his pack while wielding a sword. No way in hell, but just as he was about to say so a little voice cried out from behind him.

"He can too! Sesshomaru-sama brought Rin back so he can definitely bring back Kohaku-san. Besides," A bright smile of unadulterated joy filled the previously devastated child's face. "If Sesshomaru-sama says he can do it, than he can do it!" Rin spoke as if Sesshomaru's words were law, and for all intents and purposes, it probably was to her.

Disbelief clouded the hanyou's gaze but before he could even make a retort he was interrupted, rather harshly, once again. Scrambling to her feet, Sango pushed Inuyasha to the side as she fell to her knees in front of Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru-sama, if you can truly bring Kohaku back from death I will forever remain in your debt and my life will be at your disposal. This I swear on my honor as the last remaining member of our family." Sango's formal declaration was followed by her forehead kissing the ground as she knelt in a dogeza before the great Demon Lord's feet. The total willingness to sign her life away for Kohaku was met with no surprise from her comrades but Sesshomaru's next words were a complete shocker.

"This one requires nothing from you slayer. This Sesshomaru acts to repay a debt to the boy for saving Rin once before." With that, Sesshomaru glided past the stunned slayer as his sword floated over the deceased's body. None but him could see the fat and distorted goblins of the netherworld banging on the dead miko's barrier but him, and the knowledge that he was about to reveal a hidden ability to the hanyou whelp never passed his mind as the daiyoukai slashed down on the ugly figures without hesitation. Immediately, six gnarled minions of hell dissolved in a puff of smoke and the other miko's barrier broke under the power of Tenseiga. Satisfied, Sesshomaru turned to walk away while sheathing his now treasured fang.

Time stood still. Everyone watched as the daiyoukai slashed at thin air before turning to walk away. They glanced between the motionless demon and the motionless body of their comrade, friend, and loved one, all except for Sango whose eyes remained locked on Kohaku's face. Three painful breaths. That was the amount of time it took for the world to right itself and a lovely pair of brown eyes much like his sister to open once again.

"Kohaku!" Sango cried and with no reservation what so ever she lunged at the boy, a boy unable to defend himself considering his arms were constricted by burial cloth, but, whatever. Sango cried her heart out and Kagome cried as well followed by Rin as the three (living) women broke down in sobs and the males stood gawking. It was a miracle.

Sesshomaru watched the happy reunion between the slayer siblings before slowly turning around to walk away in to the depths of Inuyasha's forrest to hunt. The meetings for their upcoming battle were complete and even Sesshomaru could guess that the human's would want some time to reorganize themselves after all that had happened. It was a bit unsettling walking away form his miko at this time, but he was sure that the emotive female would want to be with her friends… He was so sure.

"Sesshomaru!" A shout from behind caught his attention. Glancing over his shoulder without fully turning around, the daiyoukai raised a brow at her.

"Hn?" The sound was noncommittal to the extreme and it made Kagome grind her teeth, or it would have if she wasn't so happy at the moment.

"Sesshomaru, turn around." The daiyoukai bristled at the command in the miko's voice but curiosity got the best of him. He was dying to know why the onna was bothering with him when he was sure she would rather be celebrating with her friends. However, though he was curious, Sesshomaru was not one to simply follow orders. It may have been petty but the proud youkai only turned around half way before crossing his arms like a authoritarian dictator.

"What is it, Miko?" Sesshomaru's voice was not as cold as usual and it held a shred of his interest on display as he looked over the miko. Long legs were clad in some tight, thick material she called 'leggings' and despite her insistence Sesshomaru could not comprehend how such form fitting wear was considered modest in her time. They put every curve of her supple upper thighs and lean legs on display, not to mention her top was also form fitting. A forrest green sweater which covered her neck and left little to the imagination as the fabric hugged her waist and cupped the swells of her womanly breasts. It was sensual and left the daiyoukai feeling rather hungry…

"Sesshomaru," The miko moved even closer before she was staring up at him. Her tiny figure only coming up to his chest and placing her in dangerous proximity to the spikes on his breastplate, but that did not seem to deter the female from stepping even closer. "Sesshomaru, thank you." The miko reached forward hesitantly as she grabbed a fistful of the daiyoukai's silk sleeve. It was as if as soon as she spoke a damn burst and all the emotions the onna had been containing over the last few days were let loose.

Tears of both happiness and fear flowed down her cheeks, if that was even possible, and Sesshomaru was having a hell of a time keeping up with the raging maelstrom that was Kagome's emotions. Didn't he just save the boy to make her happy? Why was she suddenly crying harder than when she heard of the boy's demise? Sesshomaru desperately wanted to sigh in resignation. He knew it would be worth it, but Sesshomaru was just beginning to realize how troublesome it will be having the miko for a mate. One false move and he might end up in the dog house without a clue as to why (a fate that surely did await the proud daiyoukai).

"Miko?" Sesshomaru placed a hand on the onna's head as he tried to sooth her. This had worked with Rin before so maybe the onna would be the same? The result? Kagome was not so easy to comfort as young Rin. In fact, his show of affection actually made the miko cry harder.

"Kagome!" The daiyokai grabbed the human's face and forced her to look at him, sure that if he left her in that condition much longer the miko would have surely started hyperventilating. "Tell this Sesshomaru what you need for him to do. We do not know how to comfort you at this moment in time." Sesshomaru admitted as a last resort his uselessness in the presences of a sobbing miko. Her tears this time were not due to simple frustration or the mere sense of loss at a friend's passing. The miko was experiencing mental turmoil over what had past and what was to come, this Sesshomaru was sure, but he still didn't know what to do and that fact twisted like a sharp blade in his gut.

Kagome whimpered as she looked up into the daiyoukai's eyes. His beautiful golden gaze calming her mind somewhat but her emotions remained volatile inside her. A whimper and then a sob broke through her defense and with no small part of effort the miko admitted what she wanted. What she needed.

"Hold me." Kagome's voice broke as more tears came unwelcome, glistening down her cheeks in the fading sun's evening light. The answer was simple enough, or so Kagome thought, but Sesshomaru merely looked down at her before turning around and walking towards a big tree.

Kagome felt the pain of rejection pierce her chest like an arrow as she saw the daiyoukai walk away, but before she could crumple under the weight of the new found agony Sesshomaru turned back to face her. Without looking away from her, the daiyoukai reached up and unhooked the clasps of his armor. The heavy metal clanged against each other as Sesshomaru took the battle armor off and placed it to the side, followed by his swords. Once these items were placed on the side of the tree and Sesshomaru was free from any spikes or hard metal objects, the daiyoukai opened his arms wide.

Kagome didn't think. She didn't think about how stupid the youkai was to handle the situation in such a misleading way. She didn't think about how her friends were on the cusp of possibly the greatest war to never be known in history. She didn't even think of the immense threat looming over all their heads and the consequences should they fail tomorrow. All Kagome thought about was flinging herself in Sesshomaru's arms.

The daiyoukai caught the weeping woman with no disturbance despite how ruthlessly she had propelled herself at his person. He was confused but the miko said to hold her so Sesshomaru was going to hold her in his arms, tightly, and try to dispel the sour scent of her overwhelming fear. Two strong arms swooped under the miko to carry her like a bride as he repositioned them at the bottom of the ancient oak tree. His back rested against the rough bark while the miko leaned heavily in to his chest, leaving their legs comfortably tangled. Her arms remained latched around the inu's neck and Sesshomaru had no intention of removing them for it put her soft cheek right alongside his shoulder and neck. On instinct, a deep rhythmic rumble started from deep within his chest once Sesshomaru had her settled. If he bothered remembering, the daiyoukai would have recognized the sound as a sound from his past. Something his own sire had done for him on the few occasions puppy Sesshomaru was upset.

The low growl seemed to work as after a few long and painful minutes the miko's breathing started to even out and the scent of tears dwindled. It was only when her shacking limbs grew lax that Sesshomaru supposed her mood had reasonably stabilized for conversation.

"Miko, tell your fears to this Sesshomaru." A big claw raked through the miko's wavy mane as he tried not to sound too assertive. He was not accustomed to asking things of others, you know, much more prone to demanding answers. Yet, he could not do that with the miko. Even if Sesshomaru wanted to, the daiyoukai was sure the defiant onna would rather rally against him until he was forced to concede than answer for her own benefit, but now he desperately wanted her to be complaint with his request. It was in her best interest after all, and for once the girl seemed to realize that.

"Tomorrow.." Kagome trailed off as she tried to organize her thoughts. Things would have been different if she had time to mentally prepare for this battle, which she kind of did, but it still came up way too unexpectedly and after everything that had happened recently—love spell, bonding with Sesshomaru, being assaulted by someone she called a friend, _almost_ having to say goodbye to a comrade— Kagome just broke down. The knowledge that this one battle would determine the fate of Japan didn't help either.

"Yes, tomorrow we fight, and tomorrow we will win." Sesshomaru's calm and confident manor in which the daiyoukai spoke was like a lifeline for the drowning miko, and she clung to it.

"How can you be so sure?" Kagome's whisper made Sesshomaru's lips pull down in a slight frown. How could she doubt him?

"Because this Sesshomaru does not lose." The daiyoukai replied simply but the way his hands snaked around the petite onna's waist and squeezed was a sign of his determination, a seal of his assurance on the matter. It was true, Sesshomaru was the true heir of the West. He did not know defeat (he did not consider losing his arm to the hanyou as a defeat) and the youkai was sure he never would. Whether it was the death of the vile spider hanyou or the pursuit and mating of a inexplicably stubborn miko, Sesshomaru would not be defeated.

"Pfft," A soft giggle turned in to an outright tirade of laughter as the miko pulled closer to Sesshomaru, trying to stifle her giggle with his silk clad shoulder. The more she laughed the more perplexed the inu grew. The miko's scent of fear was still there but it was nothing more than a shallow wisp of sour fruit, while her normal scent of green tea and jasmine flourished once more. There was even a trace of delicate lavender that Sesshomaru was coming to associate with the miko's contentment and/or joy. Was she not on the verge of a mental break only moments before?

**Mate is a strange one. **Sesshomaru's beast utterly gave up in the face of the miko's cacophony of emotions and decided he preferred to enjoy her laughter instead of thinking over it. An indulgent doggy smirk pulled back at the beast's massive maw and his tail began to wag. To him, it did not matter why the onna was laughing, just that their intended was once again happy and smelling nice. Sesshomaru, on the other hand…

"Miko, are you laughing at this one? Do you doubt this one's abilities to win against a mere half-breed?" Sesshomaru's fingers once again tightened on the miko's sides but this time it was not a sign of comforting, it was a warning for the miko to tread carefully. A warning blatantly ignored by a headstrong Kagome.

"Oh, no, your Royal Highness. This Kagome would never dare doubt your superiority to all. This humble girl knows that even the gods would bow in your all-powerful presence." The laughter was full force now and Kagome threw he head back as she no longer bothered concealing it. It was just too funny. His arrogance was a pain in the ass sometimes but his assurance really had made her feel better. Sesshomaru was right. He doesn't lose, and now that they had him as an ally, neither would they. It was only Kagome's trust in the daiyoukai's strength that allowed her to joke at a time like this but, unfortunately, the sarcastic comment did not relate the miko's confidence to the demon in question.

"Do you doubt this one's power?" A large hand came and wrapped around the back of Kagome's neck, pinning her in a reclined position with her neck exposed to him. Startled blues finally widened with understanding as Kagome opened her mouth to sooth some ruffled fur.

"Ah, no, really, Sesshomaru. I didn't mean it like that. I would never doubt you or your abilities." The miko bumbled as she back tracked her previous statement. How could she have forgotten that, though she had gotten closer to Sesshomaru, the daiyoukai was still the most lethal being in all of Japan—maybe even the world—and she apparently just pissed him off.

"Hn." Sesshomaru's eyes were now a burnt copper as red tried to override the gold, but not for the reason the miko might think. Her statement was cause for punishment, no doubt about that, but it was the thought of that punishment and the miko's currently exposed position that had the daiyoukai's beast clawing to the surface. Unfortunately, now was not the time to indulge his or his beast's particular urges.

The sound of Kagome's heart was like thunder underwater, not too loud but with an undeniable pressure. Each beat felt heavy in her chest and the miko's breathing began to shorten into breathy pants. However, it wasn't fear that had the miko feeling so constricted, it was something much more instinctual, much more powerful.

The heated gaze that warned Kagome of the beast's approach held her captive as much as the deadly claws on the back of her neck and waist. It was hungry. Kagome could feel every nerve on her body electrify with sensitivity inexplicably in-tuned with the strong arms holding her, the hot body perched underneath her, and the devilishly handsome face only inches away from her own.

Kagome had no explanation for the feelings rolling inside her as they contradicted everything she had ever known about Sesshomaru before the love spell. She felt safe and secure. She felt hot and excited. And more than anything, she felt desire, both his and her own.

Kagome forgot where they were. She forgot why she was being held in the demon lord's arms. She forgot everything except for the demonic charm of the daiyoukai pulling her in. Without thought, the futuristic miko threw caution to the wind and closed those few inches separating her from her target, a pair of pale but supple lips.

Sesshomaru was fighting back his beast for he knew his advances were untimely and inappropriate considering the current circumstances. However, as an inu, it was incredibly hard not indulging in such pleasures of the flesh before a battle, leaving Sesshomaru more troubled than usual. It was such a base instinct, ingrained in even one such as Sesshomaru since birth, that it took all the daiyoukai's energy not to close those few inches separating him from his intended and devouring her. Yet, the miko apparently had no such reservations.

When their lips met neither could resist the call of the other. Passion filled them and everything blurred together. Minutes or maybe days passed as they savored one another but when Kagome finally gained a sliver of awareness, she found herself in the air and pressed against a tree. The miko didn't know when he did it but Kagome was not opposed to the new position.

"Mhm," The weight of Sesshomaru's body pressed in to her and pinned the miko to the rough bark of the tree. Lips parted and tongues began to duel for dominance as the heat continued to build in both their souls. Kagome moaned as she slipped her hands into Sesshomaru's hair while her legs wrapped around the daiyoukai's waist. She was positioned slightly above him so that her core was nestled against the demon's muscled abdomen and with a wiggle of her hips Kagome found something else that was equally hard and hot.

A snarl tore from Sesshomaru's throat as the brazen miko ground her core against him a second time. His lips left hers and in a moment of clarity Sesshomaru gripped the miko underneath her plump rear and thrusted her upwards so her breast were level with his face. The miko cried out at the loss of the delicious friction on her core and she tightened her legs in an attempt to feel that heat once again, but Sesshomaru ignored her whines. He knew that if they had remained in such an intimate position, it would have been the miko who regretted it when she woke from her lust filled haze and realized she was a mated woman. Really, Sesshomaru was being considerate of the miko in this instance, and in a desperate attempt to remain so, Sesshomaru shifted both their focus.

"Miko, bare your breast for this Sesshomaru." The daiyoukai growled as both his hands kneaded Kagome's ass, one cheek each. His beast was contained but the desire for the onna in his arms could not be so easily dismissed.

Kagome heard Sesshomaru's order. She did, but the miko didn't know if she would obey. She wanted to, oh how she wanted to, but her shyness was fighting against her lust for the youkai. A steamy make-out session with an in-control Sesshomaru was already hard enough to get used to but the thought of shedding her clothes for him with her own hands…

A rough nip to her neck and Kagome's muddled mind was brought back to the present. "Kagome." Sesshomaru's deep voice made Kagome tighten her legs in an attempt to control the rush of moist heat that flowed down to her core. Sesshomaru just said her name.

Now gold eyes locked on to the teary blues of his miko and Sesshomaru made no effort to conceal the want in his voice. "Bare yourself for this Sesshomaru or lose your odd garment to my claws. Your choice." As if to reinforce his threat, Sesshomaru released the hold he had on one of the miko's lower cheeks to trail his claws along the length of Kagome's torso. He started right under her jaw and moved over the swell of her breasts in a leisurely descent until he was hooking his warm palm around her waist and underneath her shirt.

The heat of his skin against her naked flesh burned as if Sesshomaru was branding her body with his touch. Her heart jumped to her throat and lodged there as the daiyoukai leaned more of his weight against her. It was clear that a choice needed to be made soon. A painful moment of indecision only served to increase the mounting excitement in the air as both the miko and youkai stared at each other. Their desires on full display but so was the miko's hesitance.

At first, Sesshomaru was cursing his luck as he believed the miko was not prepared to advance their relationship to such an intimate level. No matter what his true nature was, he was not really an animal. Sesshomaru was an honorable being and he would not force the miko to do anything against her will, even if her hesitancy was most likely only due to shyness on the female's part. No, Sesshomaru would wait for the miko to be ready, no matter how long that took…

Just as Sesshomaru was thinking to return the miko to the ground, the miko's penetrating stare hardened in determination. Gentle hands came up to cup the daiyoukai's cheeks and brush along the underside of his markings, making a soft gasp leave the demon's lips. This level of intimacy was completely different than what Sesshomaru had been expecting, but the touch was beyond welcome.

Kagome was lost in the pools of molten gold watching her every move. Emotion she never knew the daiyoukai was capable of filled Sesshomaru's gaze and it made Kagome's reservations fly away. She could see the desire in his eyes and the miko knew deep in her heart that she wanted to respond to him. Soft lips moved in to lay a feathery touch on the demon lord's crescent moon. Her lips repeated their light trail of affections between his eyes, down his nose, and to his lips while her hands simultaneously moved with just as much deliberate slowness along his neck, over his chest, and down his stomach.

When Sesshomaru was just about to lose himself in the soft caresses of the lovely miko, Kagome leaned back. Her eyes remained locked on his as her hands moved off his person. A small whine from his beast almost slipped past Sesshomaru's lips at the loss of her touch. No one had ever touched him like that and an unfamiliar feeling was making his chest feel tight. It was both pleasurable and painful and it weighed heavily within him. Sesshomaru wanted to spend some time analyzing this odd sensation that he had no experience with, but when those same hands moved to the hem of the onna's shirt another fire roared to life a little farther south.

She was going to strip for him. The miko was actually going to shed her clothing and welcome his attentions. His. Not his beast's. The miko was accepting Sesshomaru, the youkai, and that thought made the tightness in the dai's chest constrict even more. It was both forbidden and unnatural yet unbelievably exhilarating and beyond _right_ that this miko, his natural enemy, was _willing_ to seek pleasure in his arms. It was like in that moment, with the miko's acceptance, Sesshomaru was completed.

His hands followed her in a steady pursuit as they ascended her body while his golden gaze remained locked on the miko's face like a predator. The young onna's skin felt like silk and the way she shivered under his claws had his beast purring in satisfaction. A low growl sounded deep in Sesshomaru's throat as he moved his gaze to asses their hands' progress. Finally, his hands were underneath the curve of her perfect breasts. The daiyoukai's fingers twitched with his desire to cup the deliciously supple flesh that was slowly being exposed to his hungry gaze by the miko's own hands. Sesshomaru was in the midst of leaning down to take hold of a hardened peak that was calling his name from underneath the foreign material of her undergarment, a seductive lace garment the inu very much wanted to shred apart with his teeth, when they heard it.

"Kagome!" The gruff scream caught both Kagome and Sesshomaru off guard. A feral snarl pulled back the daiyoukai's lips and the dangerous sound echoed off the trees surrounding them. The miko, on the other hand, began to writhe in the demon's arms and not in a way that the daiyoukai preferred. No, she was struggling to right her clothing and disentangle herself from his embrace, a fact that annoyed Sesshomaru and his beast.

In a petty act to regain the miko's attention, Sesshomaru locked their lips in another heated kiss as he placed her feet back on the ground. This kiss was demanding as the demon's tongue forced his way in to the miko's mouth in an attempt to devour her.

Kagome was shocked at first and wanted to refuse but Sesshomaru's touch no longer unsettled her, in fact, it called to her. With his lips meeting hers once more, the young miko's mind clouded and her stomach began to knot with a foreign feeling. She answered every move of his mouth and every stroke of his tongue, and when he leaned away with her lower lip held captive by his sharp fangs Kagome couldn't contain the needy moan that feel from her parted lips.

"Oi wench, where the hell did you go?" Inuyasha's screaming was getting closer but that didn't stop Sesshomaru from savoring one last searing kiss with _his_ miko. It wasn't until the daiyoukai heard the whelp's bare feet snap a twig only a few meter away that Sesshomaru released his hold on the miko completely and moved back. With one look at the onna's misty eyes and flushed cheeks, Sesshomaru smirked like a devil before vanishing.

Kagome felt the breeze as Sesshomaru performed a disappearing act in front of her and her mind struggled to clear. She yanked her top down with too much force than necessary and in a moment of clarity Kagome thought to raise a barrier around herself and the area to cloak the scents of Kagome and Sesshomaru's, cough, quality time?

Not waiting for Inuyasha to find her breathless and panting against a tree, Kagome ignored the uncomfortable dampness between her legs and ran towards where her senses told her a very disgruntled hanyou was looking for her.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome popped up behind Inuyasha as she pretended that her current rumpled state was from running through the forrest. Her unexpected appearance had the hanyou jumping five feet in to the air.

"Shit Kagome. I know you can cloak yourself now but don't do that to me, dammit." Inuyasha held a hand over his chest as he played off his fright by reprimanding her, and the normalcy of the whole thing had Kagome smiling as she repressed a giggle.

"I'm sorry, Yasha. I just needed some time to think, ya know?" Kagome smiled as she told a little white lie. It didn't matter if she lied right now because Inuyasha couldn't smell her deceit but she didn't like lying to her best friend.

Inuyasha glanced over her and the smile that looked a little tense and the hanyou felt his soft-hearted friend must have needed time to cry all by herself. It fit Kagome's image and her past behavior but that didn't mean Inuyasha liked the idea of the girl going off on her own, not with her luck in getting kidnapped and all.

"Keh, wench. I don't care if you wanna cry your eyes out, don't go off alone. Especially not with what we gotta do tomorrow." Inuyasha's voice trailed off and a tension filled the air. So much was in that silence. Dedication. Worry. Fear. It had both Kagome and Inuyasha staring at each other, reliving everything they had gone through together and the knowledge of what awaited them had their hearts feeling heavy.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed again as he roughly folded his arms across his chest. He was uncomfortable with emotions and grew especially uncomfortable with an emotional Kagome. He sniffed the cold air in habit to try to decipher the onna's state but the hanyou came up short.

"Oi, why are you cloaking your scent too?" Inuyasha wasn't nearly as dumb as everyone thought. He had matured a lot over the years spent with Kagome. Hell, she had even taught him future stuff along with how to write and read a little, but more than anything his intuition became increasingly sensitive after living with two emotionally volatile females for the past few years. It was fine if Kagome went off to cry but the girl never hid her scent. She wore her emotions openly so it was odd for her to suddenly decide and hide them.

Amber eyes narrowed as they assessed his friend up and down. Kagome's hair was a little wild and her cheeks were a deep pink. When she arrived she had been panting as if she was out of breath. This wasn't too concerning but the way Kagome kept fidgeting under his stare made a seed of suspicion plant in Inuyasha's mind.

"Oh, well that's really simple actually." Kagome waved her hands in the air as Inuyasha took a step in her direction. "I got a little worked up when I was thinking and I don't want certain youkai getting a whiff of all my emotions, you know?" Kagome continued to babble as she played off her current state. It wasn't completely untrue, it just wasn't the whole truth. Inuyasha saw how the conversation was making Kagome uncomfortable and he decided to drop it for now. This wasn't the time.

"Geez, whatever. Let's just get back to camp. We have to set off as soon as we send the brats on their way. Still can't believe we're letting Shippo go off to that bastard's place." Inuyasha grumbled as he turned to leave. They had decided that the situation was too dangerous for the children so Rin and Shippo were going with Jaken and Ah Un back to the Western Shiro. It had been difficult to get Shippo to agree but once Kagome told Shippo that Naraku might be targeting Rin and that she needed his protection the kit reluctantly gave in and agreed to be her little body guard. Inuyasha had not been pleased with relying on his brother to protect someone in his pack but everyone else thought it was a great idea, including Kagome. So even if he was still grumbling, this was how things were going to go. Now, Inuyasha wasn't paying any attention to Kagome as he continued to mutter to himself, allowing the miko a sigh of relief before she trotted the few paces to join him. Side by side, just like their adventure had begun, the two embarked on their final journey together, as best friends.

**…**

Sesshomaru watched the miko layout a rough map of Naraku's castle, a map that had been supplied by the recently revived slayer. Kohaku was proving to be a vital asset in the group's finalization of their battle strategy. Through his memories and the tidbits of information he could supply, the group's once flimsy attack plan became a formalized attack strategy with contingency plans to back it up. The amount of information Kohaku was able to supply also eased a lot of the group's concerns to where most of the adults were feeling rather confident. However, Sesshomaru paid no heed to the emotions of others as his eyes remained fixed on Kagome.

"Why are you staring at me, Sesshomaru?" Kagome looked up in exasperation. The demon lord had been tailing her since they arrived back from their little escapade and his unwavering attention was doing strange things to her. It put her on edge but at the same time it brought a strange sense of comfort, but Kagome was trying to memorize the map before she went to sleep. They were both sitting by the fire, alone, as the others had ventured off to do their own duties and/or prepare for bed, but Sesshomaru just stared at her and it was getting on Kagome's nerves.

Sesshomaru didn't answer as he continued to stare down the tiny little miko. After her little break down in Inuyasha's forrest, all Sesshomaru could sense from Kagome was strength, determination, and the cool-headedness and calm demeanor befitting a seasoned solider before battle, and this confused Sesshomaru. To him, the miko had always been a being of crippling sentimentality, a mental image more closely resembling that of the miko from earlier, the one that cried in his arms, not this miko. The one that was like a young war general in the making who offered clear direction and useful input to their battle plans.

The weeping woman was gone, leaving the miko to stare at him from under her bangs as she leaned over the map. There wasn't even an ounce of distress in her scent. In fact, her scent was so intoxicatingly pure that Sesshomaru's beast was becoming drunk off her. The slight bitterness of green tea sweetened by the floral of countless jasmine blossoms was laced with a twist of citrus, perhaps due to her nervous anticipation for the battle to come? But why was she no longer sad? Her ability to disregard what happened to her, both in his world and her won, so quickly and efficiently went against everything Sesshomaru knew of this onna.

It was perplexing and left the inu wondering. Was the miko truly over her distress, or had the onna learned of a means to fool the daiyoukai's sense of smell. Not blocking her scent but manufacturing artificial scents to fool him? If the latter, the demon lord would have to find a way to rectify that because he would not tolerate anyone trying to fool him. If the former, well… the daiyoukai's stony stare softened infinitesimally. If the young onna was truly capable of overcoming her laden fears and worries in favor of fully devoting herself to battle, Sesshomaru would not deny being a little proud to call the onna his ally.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome's tone was exhausted. It had taken 4 hours of demon travel to arrive at the foot of the mountain concealing Naraku's castle. She was tired and frustrated after listening to Inuyasha and Koga's posturing for two more hours after traveling. She didn't want to deal with this at the moment. Kagome blew her bangs out of her face in frustration. Why were all the men in her life so damn irritating?

A big hand suddenly captured her wrist and startled blue eyes looked up, gasping at the looming youkai's new found proximity. Sesshomaru now stood towering over her, only a breath away. The light honey of his beautiful eyes had darkened to a brassy copper while she wasn't paying attention. Kagome knew what that meant after experiencing a similar gaze on more than one occasion. For some reason, Sesshomaru's beast was rilled and close to the surface. This knowledge made the usually brave women take a gulp of air. The beast would not hurt her (he certainly hadn't the last two times he appeared) but the damn dog was not very well trained so Kagome would prefer it if the demon lord stayed in control for the time being. As she was opening her mouth to placate the creature within, his host did something rather unexpected.

A gentle claw tipped the miko's face up so that she had no where to go. The demon's gaze was unmoving and left Kagome feeling small, like a child about to be scolded. His other hand rose and before the miko could react a feather light touch was caressing her bruised cheek. Her eyes widened to a dangerous degree as she tried to assess the emotions simmering behind her captor's heavy and meaningful gaze. It took her a moment, as she had been stunned speechless due to his actions, but as that hand lowered to rest gently on her neck a light bulb flashed.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome wet her lips as she tried to say the most improbable thing she had ever dared to say. "are you by chance worried about me?" Kagome's voice was soft yet her expression was even softer. She didn't need for him to answer her as, for some unknown reason, Kagome knew she was right. All day the daiyoukai spent his time staring at her, trying to figure her out like a complicated math problem and flittered around her like a worried mother hen. Was this the reason? The mere thought of the demon caring for her in such a way flooded the miko with a warmth that spilled from her eyes as her tense facial expression relaxed into a lovely smile.

Sesshomaru's hand flinched before letting go on reflex. The gentle expression of the miko making him feel rather uncomfortable in his chest. No beings looked at Sesshomaru like the miko did, and no beings triggered such behavior from the daiyoukai except the miko. It was fine considering that the onna would be his mate, but the deep warmth lighting Kagome's beautiful blue eyes made Sesshomaru hesitate. These feelings were too strong and coming in too fast for the daiyoukai to analyze. Instead, the arrogant daiyoukai avoided such troublesome things and decided to think on them at a latter date.

Sesshomaru's eyes morphed back into their usual gold as he turned his head with a scoff. The breath of fresh air he received by turning away from the now grinning onna's perfumed person was refreshing and cleared the young lord's complicated thoughts.

"Do not overestimate your own importance, Miko. This one is only concerned that your mental state will create a liability for tomorrow's battle." The demon lord flicked his white sleeve as he turned to leave and a tinkling laugh followed him.

"Of course, my lord." The miko giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand, only to laugh harder when she noticed the regal lord's pace quicken. If she didn't value her life, Kagome would ask the prickly prince if he was running away.

**…**

The sun rose the next morning but it brought with it no warmth. The soft morning rays fell on the small hodgepodge of demons and holy person's alike and without preamble the group began to ready for battle.

Kagome and Sango had slept in a new tent her Mama had been kind enough to pack her and just before the miko could begin putting on the more traditional miko garb that Kaede lent her, Sango spoke.

"Uh, Kagome-chan?" The slayer's nervous tone caught Kagome's attention. After Kohaku was revived, there hadn't been an ounce of hesitancy or doubt in the slayer's voice or actions. Why was she all the sudden anxious?

"Yeah Sango?" Kagome smiled in encouragement for the older onna. Maybe she just needed to get something off her chest? That was always possible, but not likely the miko considered as Sango reached behind her to pull out a wrapped parcel.

"This, um, this is for you. If you want it, of course." A slight blush tinted Sango's cheeks and Kagome couldn't help but stare blankly. Sango was giving her something that would make her blush? Now she had to know what was going on.

With concealed excitement and wonder Kagome reached for the cloth wrapped bundle. It was heavy but not too heavy as the miko weighed the things in her arms, her curiosity only growing. When she finally managed to get the wrapping opened, Kagome froze.

Seeing her friend cease movement, Sango began to babble. "It was my mother's, you see. I found it the last time I went back to the demon slayer's village to repair Hiraikotsu. She was a little shorter and more curvy than me so I have no use for it but the more I thought about it the more I thought it would suit you. Especially considering the color…"

Sango trailed off in favor of twiddling her fingers, wondering if she had crossed a line. Just because she viewed Kagome as a little sister didn't mean the futuristic miko would be comfortable receiving such a gift. However, as was the usual, Sango's worries were for naught.

"Sango, I love it." Kagome's eyes began to water as she held up a slayer uniform nearly identical to her friend's besides the ice blue color of the armor plates instead of Sango's pink. It was beautifully fierce and it was something that would protect Kagome as well as make her feel more prepared for battle. Her glistening eyes leaving the sturdy material under her fingers, Kagome glanced back up at Sango. "Are you sure I can wear this?"

Sango laughed at the miko's bashful expression, her worries easing away. She promised it was ok and then proceeded to help Kagome into the jump-suit and attach the armor. It didn't take long before Sango was fastening the final touch to the ensemble, a royal blue slash around her waist that held a short dagger.

"With this, we will look like real sisters." Kagome smiled up at the older onna as they finished tying up their hair in identical tails. Kagome's blue-black hair falling only a little longer than the mahogany brown of Sango's.

Sango froze at the miko's words and she had to turn away for a second to swallow the lump in her throat. Sango was so lucky to have met Kagome. They all were. It was like their little miko was a blessing that bestowed happiness on whoever she met. It was all thanks to this young girl from the future that Sango once again had people to call family, and for that she would be eternally grateful.

"Sango?" Kagome whispered as she moved behind her friend. The miko knew her friend was strong but that didn't stop her from looping her arms around the older female's waist.

"Don't worry. It will all be ok. Do you think I'm going to pass up the chance to see you smacking Miroku on your wedding day?" Kagome and Sango laughed as they repositioned themselves to share a real hug. It was in their loved one's arms that the two woman cleared the last traces of doubt in their mind. There would be another time for tears and laughter. Today, they had a war to win.

Kagome and Sango exited their tent and were surprised to see that they were the last one's to arrive at the meeting place. They stood as a group of roughly 50 individuals. Most were wolves from Koga's tribe but there were other demon's that either offered aid through mutual connection or were seeking their own revenge on Naraku. A number of traveling monk's and even a few miko's even came to participate in the battle, stating that their distaste for youkai could be overlooked in favor of exterminating a greater evil. It caused some tension at times but, either way, their forces were too small to turn away any allies.

They all convened at the bottom of a small gorge that hollowed out into a path between two mountains. A powerful miasma and thick barrier alerting those well acquainted with the spider that this was the entrance to Naraku's lair. The plan was rather simple. Inuyasha was going to use his red Tessaiga paired with both Kikyo and Kagome's holy arrows to drop the barrier. From there, the group will have to file in and launch a frontal attack since there was no way to come up from behind or strike from above. This was the greatest danger but the multitude of youkai's seemed unfazed when Kagome warned of the tidal wave of youkai that Naraku will undoubtably release once they arrive. In fact, they seemed expectant, excited even.

The element of surprise was not on their side but the Inu-taichi suspected it never was, not with the bastard's base lair being only a few hours away from Edo. This meant that the battle strategy relied heavily on Naraku's unbridled ego and underestimation of their abilities. The fighting would be bloody, lives were bound to be lost, but as long as the core group could make it in to Naraku's castle, Kagome was sure they would win.

As the two female's approached, many eyes were fixed upon them, to the displeasure of two rather possessive males. Miroku immediately went to stand by Sango's side as he walked with her to the front of the battle regiment. This made the slayer smile a small smile before her face went back into being a battle hardened mask and her hand came to rest protectively on Kohaku's shoulder—a habit formed since his revival.

Sesshomaru, however, did not have that luxury to lay claim on his onna so openly so he was left to grit his teeth as the various male youkai eyed the miko's pleasing form, the form that was on full display due to the skin tight uniform of a slayer. Every womanly curve could be seen from her toned legs to her feminine chest and the light blue accented the miko's eyes in a way that made her look like she was born wearing her armor, ready for battle.

It was positively torture for the daiyoukai to allow other's to toss the miko lascivious glances without making his intention to mate the miko clear for all who were present. If it were any other day, Sesshomaru would have ripped those offending eyes out of their sockets before grinding them under his heel. Sadly, that would have to wait for another day.

As Sesshomaru simmered in his own discontentment, everyone else buzzed with energy. The air was electrified with youki and reiki alike and no one bothered to hide their presence, they knew Naraku was waiting for them and they were ready to give him hell. It was in this intense atmosphere that Inuyasha stepped forward.

"Alright ya bastards," The loud bark caught everyone's attention and a hundred eyes fixed on the hanyou. "I'm not gonna waste my time explaining shit to ya again if you don't already know the plan so my advice for those who forgot," A fanged smirk broke the tense atmosphere as Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders. "Just go in swinging and don't get yourself killed."

Kagome rolled her eyes at Inuyasha's 'charming' pep talk but it did what it was supposed to do. The highly strung members of the group settled and some even downright relaxed. For the majority of the youkai, it was that simple. Go in with swords swinging and hope you don't die.

Sesshomaru also acknowledged that his half-brother's tactless little speech had positive affects on their forces and a shallow smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. Perhaps the whelp wasn't hopeless after all.

Inuyasha assessed the crowd of youkai and humans before him with a critical eye. He had not expected the mangy wolf to gather so many comrades nor had he planned for miko and monks to join their efforts. In truth, this was beyond the hanyou's expectations and it favored their side greatly. If everything worked out, then maybe they could all walk away from this in one piece.

"Alright," With the flourish of a young youkai showing off, Inuyasha turned and brandished his transformed fang that glowed red as blood. Kagome and Kikyo stood to his sides and both took their cue to raise their bows and direct two glowing arrows at the hidden barrier. This was it. A feral smile promising death spread on Inuyasha's face.

"Let the battle begin."

* * *

**AN: Hey everyone! Thank you for your patience. I know this took a while to get out but I wanted to make sure everything was heading in the right direction to set everything up. I hope you like the new developments between Kagome and Sesshomaru as well as the progression of the plot. Please let me know what you think and thanks once again for your continued support :)**

**UPDATE: To those of you wonderful people out there reading my stories, I am sorry to say that I will be on hiatus for a short two months. I have a test that I need to study for along with other responsibilities that will occupy all of my free time. I do apologize but I will make sure to return as soon as possible and to make sure that your wait is well worth it! I hope you will stick with me despite this inconvenience and I hope you aren't too angry with me :'(**


	14. The Love Spell: Chapter 13

Inuyasha assessed the crowd of youkai and humans before him with a critical eye. He did not expect the mangy wolf to gather so many comrades let alone for miko and monks to join their efforts. In truth, this was beyond the hanyou's expectations and it favored their side greatly. If everything worked out, then maybe they could all walk away from this in one piece.

"Alright," With the flourish of a young youkai showing off, Inuyasha turned and brandished his transformed fang that glowed red as blood. Kagome and Kikyo stood to his sides and both took their cue to raise their bows and direct two glowing arrows at the hidden barrier. This was it. A feral smile promising death spread on Inuyasha's face.

"Let the battle begin."

**~Phase 1: Infiltrate the Castle~**

The sound of metal clashing, skin tearing, and blood spilling filled the air as the Inu-taichi and their allies clashed with Naraku's mindless minions. Like Kohaku said, they were only low level demons but the sheer number of them made it nearly impossible for the small army to get past the abandoned castle's courtyard.

The Inu-taichi and their allies persisted until the early morning sun was nearing the peak of day. With the high mountain walls surrounding Naraku's base, the cold winter wind was absent and the air stagnant, making the stench of blood feel like a humid mist that clung to their skin.

"Gyahhh!" A painfully human scream catches Kagome's attention just in time for her to see a slithering serpent demon bite off the head of a defenseless miko, her long black hair hanging out of its mouth like black drool.

Like herself, that miko was stationed at the periphery of the battle to heal the wounded while the monks maintained a barrier around the base to keep the battle contained. Kagome's heart wrenches at the sight of the headless miko's small body crumpling to the ground. She could not have been more than 15.

"Remain calm and continue your duties!" Kagome orders as her arrow spears the disgusting creature through its slimy hide. She was in charge of the reiki users so Kagome couldn't show how unsettling that image was to her in front of the others. She needs to be strong for her troops.

Piercing blues graze over the battlefield, looking for the hole in their defense. How did that thing even get past their offense anyway? As her eyes are analyzing the situation, another bloody scream rips across the battlefield. Luckily, this time it was not one of their own.

Sesshomaru easily dismembers an ugly looking youkai without a care in the world. As arms and legs fall, the distorted face of the youkai turned a sickly green color in agner, and why shouldn't it be angry? Everyone could tell Sesshomaru was taunting the pathetic creature.

Like this, the demon lord killed hundreds of enemies in a matter of seconds with his ever stoic expression. Kagome could feel her eyebrow twitch in irritation just from watching. Did he have to look so damn bored? They were in the middle of a war!

As if sensing her criticism, the big doggy general turned his apathetic, god-like expression towards her...and smiled. No, not smiled. He smirked like the smug-ass bastard he was and always will be.

{Fuck you.} Kagome mouthed to which the insufferable dog replied.

{Later.}

Gold eyes finally expressed a glimmer of emotion as Sesshomaru watched the fiery miko's temper flare. Reiki swirled around her in a magenta heat that almost matched the deep pink of her flustered cheeks. Does that mean his mate was pleased with the proposal?

Sesshomaru was on the verge of smirking once again when he saw something that made his frozen heart drop. As his miko launched another holy arrow to defend one of their wolf allies, a giant beetle youkai rose from the ground behind her.

A gnarled pincher moved towards the miko's pretty little head and just as she felt something was wrong and started turning around, Kagome's face was smooshed against a cold metal breastplate and the sound of dissolving flesh sizzled behind her.

"Distraction is equivalent to death in battle, Miko." Sesshomaru's red tinted eyes flashed as he pulled Kagome's small face up to look at him. "And this one will not allow you to die."

"I-I'm sorry?" Kagome's mind blanks for a moment as the Western Lord holds her close. Chaos surrounded them, but for that short moment all she could think about was what those words implied. The emotions barely concealed in Sesshomaru's eyes, making Kagome's heart pound in her chest.

"Wait, where did that thing come from?" Kagome's flushed face pulls out of Sesshomaru's grip to examine the ground behind her. A pool of green poison dripped into the large hole in the ground from where the youkai attacked her.

"It seems some of Naraku's minions are burrowers. They are using their abilities to fall behind our offensive line to attack from the rear." Sesshomaru's cat-like eyes narrow. Now this could be a problem.

"They are attacking us from underground!" Kagome's face goes from red to white as she looks over the remaining miko and monks. For now, they were safe, but who knows when more of these 'burrowers' would appear.

Ugh. The unsettling feeling of not knowing what was lurking beneath her feet made Kagome shiver. It was like the time they had an infestation at the shrine when she was a little girl. Too bad they could not flood them out like they did back then… Wait.

"Sesshomaru that's it!" Kagome grabs the regal lord's sleeve and tugs it in excitement like a child. The unimpressed youkai raises a silver brow at her but Kagome doesn't pay him any attention as she starts to dish out orders.

"Go tell Inuyaha and the rest of 'em to fall back. I got a plan!" Sesshomaru wants to tell the stubborn miko that she was in no position to be giving out orders, especially to him, but as she flashed that stunning smile up at him with her sparkling blue eyes, Sesshomaru lost the will to say it. It was like the look she gave him was saying: trust me. So he did.

Kagome, of course, rushed off without even reflecting on the fact she just ordered around the demon king himself like it was nothing. All she could think about was finding Miroku.

"Ah!" Although, the current state of things did make our young heroine forget one crucial thing about herself. Kagome's ultimate enemy was and always will be gravity.

"Oof." A strong arm catches the flailing miko right before her face can hit the ground, and before she can adjust to being caught she is hauled back up to a standing position. Her back hit a metal clad chest and the arm nestled directly under her breast gave a gentle squeeze.

"Careful, little one. You are so tiny I fear no one would be able to find you if you were to fall." Kagome does not know if she wants to laugh or cry at the warm sound of the stranger's voice. Why did it sound like there was another bastard out here not taking this battle seriously? Was this really the time to flirt around?

"Lister here, pal!" Kagome starts but quickly shuts up when she turns to see her savior's face. Golden hair was pulled up into an equally golden crown before the long tail spilled down to the middle of his back. His tall frame was clad in non-descript battle armor but even someone untrained as her could tell that the male was a seasoned warrior. I was obvious with how he held his long kwandao blade so lesiruly on his shoulder, like he didn't have a care in the world at the moment. His handsome face even hosted a cheeky grin as he watched Kagome's face go from red to white, making his emerald green eyes sparkle in amusement. Well, one of them at least.

"You're bleeding!" Kagome shouted as she saw the trail of blood continue to fall from the long scar over his left eye. The eye itself seemed to be pierced as well so the image was quite ghastly.

"Ah. Well, yes, but I am still quite handsome even with one eye, don't you think?" That cheeky grin spread as the mysterious stranger even dared to laugh over his distressing injury. A fact that made Kagome livid.

"This isn't funny! Why aren't you in the back getting treatment?" The miko huffed as she forgot all about finding Miroku and started dragging the slightly shocked youkai towards the back lines.

"Little one, this injury can't be treated by normal first aid, and it isn't like the miko can use their healing ability on youkai." The taller soldier calmly informed the agitated miko. It was cute that she seemed to care but he already gave up on his eye. It was his fault in the first place for being so negligent in battle. If he wasn't so focused on hiding his presence from his Lord, he would have never been injured by such a low level youkai in the first place.

"What? Miko can heal youkai." Kagome turned to face the still bleeding demon. His pale skin was a stark contrast to the vibrant red dripping down his cheek. It looked like red paint violently splashed against a white canvas.

"I've never heard of such a thing being possible, little one. Reiki would purify the youkai even if the intent was to heal." The older being tried to explain the laws of nature to the small child before him, but the girl was not having it.

"That's not true. I've healed youkai thousands of times." One particular hanyou being responsible for a considerable number of those times, but her words remained true. Over the past three years, Kagome has healed a vast number of people: human, hanyou, and youkai alike.

Confident blue eyes clashed with disbelieving green eyes as the youkai looked down on the human. One, was wondering why the other didn't believe in her while the other was stuck on the fact that the onna before him was a miko. If that were the case, why was she wearing the form fitting attire of a slayer instead of the more conservative cloth of the miko?

The male's green eye narrowed as his instincts warned him to stay away from this peculiar _miko_. It would be best if he did not get further involved with her.

Smiling, his face resumed its pleasant appearance. "If that is the case, then this soldier will let you be on your way back to the healing ground. I will return to battle." Turning, the male had every intention of making a strategic retreat when I small hand captured his own.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Kagome's eyes flashed with a knowing light. She recognized that distrust, that suspicion, that many youkai before him expressed in her presence, but she wasn't going to let it go this time. They were allies for Christ's sake.

"I wouldn't dare, My Lady. I just need to be on my way." The man tried to pull out of grasp but for some reason he couldn't move. It wasn't her grip, that was gently holding on to him, it was the provocative look in her eyes.

"What? Are you scared, Soldier?" Kagome smiled a sweet smile as she stepped up to the man's chest. His golden hair sparkled in the sunlight and if Kagome wasn't ticked off, she might have admired the stubborn look in his eye. Too bad she was not in the mood for it today.

"Afraid of a little pain at the cost of a completely restored eye?" Kagome arched a brow as she reached up towards the golden-boy's face. Her thumb gently wiping some blood off his cheek.

"I thought you demons were much stronger than that?" Kagome teased and the male snapped. Big, strong hands wrapped around her waist as the man loomed over her. A threat lingered in his voice even as he smiled down at her.

"Such a pretty little thing, you should learn to be more wary of beasts." That face was cold as he warned the girl, but her resolution did not change.

"I'm not afraid of you. We are allies. That is why I am honestly trying to help you." Kagome ground out between clenched teeth. Why was it so hard to get along even when they were fighting on the same side?

A minute passed as the soldier weighed her words. He did not scent any deceit. In fact, when she first saw his state of being she expressed genuine concern. Though his instincts were on edge just knowing she was a miko, a small part of him wanted to trust this little priestess. Fortunately for him, it was the small part that won.

"Fine. Please heal me, Miko." Kagome's eyes flashed with surprise when the tall man leaned down so she could heal him, and he caught sight of her thankful smile before he closed his other eye as well.

"Bare with me." Kagome whispered as she moved one hand to hold the opposite side of his face while her other hand rested over his left eye. Little did the soldier know, the miko wasn't saying this to prepare him for pain. She was just asking him to excuse her touch while she made quick work of healing his eye.

A flash of magenta light. A warm sensation that traveled to the depths of his soul. A small sigh. All was done.

"There. Now I gotta go. Be safe and kick some youkai butt!" Kagome chirped and before the man could say anything she was running off to find Miroku.

Standing behind her, the amazed and baffled youkai was frozen for a moment. Two clear, green eyes watching after her retreating figure before he too leapt back into battle. A peculiar light shining in both his emerald eyes as a mysterious smile played along his light pink lips.

Kagome found Miroku and informed him of her plan just as Inuyasha managed to order their allies to stand back and wait for further instruction. Without the youkai brigade to hold them back, Naraku's crude army of youkai surged towards the Inu-taichi like a tidal wave.

Flood after flood of misshapen and blood thirsty demons spilled into the small courtyard from Naraku's rift in the sky and since the base was located in a round crevice, the small space started to fill up like a bowl ready to overflow. If it wasn't for Kagome and the other holy persons, the first phase of the plan may have ended in utter failure.

"That's it, focus your reiki on the ground. Saturate the land so the vile spawn have nowhere left to stand!" Miroku stood in front of a line of monks, the metal rings of his shakujo ringing like bells to accompany his command. Sutras were flying everywhere and holy power began to cover the ground in a sea of light.

Behind them, the other miko stood beside Kagome and Kikyo with their arrows raised. Arrow after holy arrow flew into the afternoon sky and soon youkai ashes were raining down on them as their enemies continued to be purified.

"This is fine and all but we aren't really making any progress." Inuyasha grumbles from the front of the youkai lines and the tall demon to his side actually nods in agreement.

"You are right for once, half-breed. This tactic, though efficient for the time being, is getting us nowhere and will soon be rendered useless when the monks and miko exhaust their reiki." Sesshomaru analyzes the terrain while he converses with his little brother. High walls of stone surround the castle and the courtyard is on a lower level than the actual building, making it a strategic location for defensive purposes. What they needed was a way through the never ending surge of vermin filth to launch their actual attack against the spider's fortress.

"Hey, Kagome!" Inuyasha barked as he saw the other miko's arrows begin to falter.

"Kinda busy Yasha, what do you want?" Kagome's brow was covered in a thin veil of sweat. The amount of reiki she needed to take down one or two youkai of this level was nothing to her. In fact, the control she needed to not release her power full throttle was what was making her sweat. She was knocking out 3 to 5 youkai at a time but it was still hard for her to restrict her reiki levels to make sure her allies didn't end up as collateral damage.

"I want a home run. Right down the middle. We are going in." Inuyasha's voice was both calm yet ringing in anticipation, like his claws were itching to fight. Kagome glanced down from the sky and saw what he was talking about. Right down the middle, was the hole the size of a small pool where the youkai were flooding out of and, if she didn't misunderstand, Inuysha was suggesting she be the plug.

Why didn't she think of that! Wasting time on these small fries was useless if it meant they were just going to be replaced with five or six more. The question remains, however. Could Kagome do it? As the sound of a monk's scream tickles her ear, Kagome knows she doesn't have a choice. There is no could in a war, there is only a would and a will. Glancing over her shoulder, Kagome shoots Inuyasha a sassy little wink.

"You got it, boss." Gripping the last arrow in her hand Kagome runs to stand right beside Miroku. If she was going to do this, she needs to be as far away from her allies as she could be to keep them safe. "Cover me, Miroku."

"Anything you say, Lady Kagome." Miroku unwinds the prayer beads sealing his wind tunnel. "Just say when." With Miroku by her side, Kagome takes a deep breath in as she faces the countless ugly faces of youkai waiting to tear her apart. As Miroku was no longer throwing out sutras, they were growing even bolder as they raced towards her small body. A second of indecision weighs on her heart before the miko raises her bow.

"Now!" Kagome pulls back that bowstring as Miroku clears her immediate vicinity of demons by sucking them into the abysmal hole in his hand. Reiki surges out from within Kagome and fills the bow with holy power until it is dyed in a deep magenta light. The wood whines from the power of her essence being forced into such a feeble material but Kagome doesn't stop. Looking at the small hole that seemed to be torn from the sky itself, the small girl wielding insurmountable power takes aim.

Her fingers release the taut string, but just as Kagome breathes a sigh of relief the arrow that is only halfway to its target explodes.

"No!" Kagome painics as her own holy light fills the sky. She does not care about her failure or about the enemies turning to dust before her eyes. She's worried about her allies, her _youkai_ allies!

Turning so fast her hair whips back around to hit her in the face, Kagome desperately searches for her comrades. Please, don't let all their efforts go to waste because of her mistake!

The monks and miko were fine since they are unaffected by reiki, so Kagome's gaze moves past them without even noticing their shell-shocked expressions. They couldn't believe there was a priestess alive with such power yet they just witnessed hundreds of demons turning to ash right before their eyes. When this was over, Kaogme was going to have quite the fanclub and more than a few groupies.

Behind those frozen in admiration for the young miko, was her best friend Inuyasha, her troublesome friend Koga, and the ever stoic demon lord. Kagome wants to cry as she looks at both the barriers surrounding their allied forces. One, glowing a dim pink, was obviously made by Kikyo and it looked weak but substantial as it protected the youkai within. The other, Kagome's glistening eyes meet with steely gold. Of course, it was Sesshomaru's.

"My Lady, I think you should go back. We will find another way to close the hole." Miroku grunts as he accidentally sucks in a Saimyosho. Dammit, they were hidden within the rabbel.

"No, I-", Kagome is cut off as a domineering voice sounds from behind her back.

"The Monk is right, Miko. Fall back." Kagome's back straightens at the knowledge that Sesshomaru was behind her. Not because she was afraid of him, but because she knew he was planning to take her off the front lines. By force, if necessary.

"Wait, Sesshomaru. I can do it!" Kagome turns to see Sesshomaru staring down at her with an unfathomable expression. Like usual, she has no idea what he is thinking. How could he even come out here with the amount of reiki pulsing under his boots? Any normal youkai would have been purified in an instant.

"Stop speaking nonsense, Miko. You are now weaponless without your bow and arrow. Go back before your recklessness endangers everyone." Sesshomaru's words were not even remotely kind, but they were true. She didn't have an arrow so how was she going to close the hole that was easily 30 ft up in the sky? Reason told her to agree with him, but her heart refused. This was something she had to do!

"No, I mean," Kagome back peddles from that verbal taboo real quick when she sees Sesshomaru's face harden at her refusal. "I mean, please Sesshomaru. Let me try one more time." Kagome grabs one of the youkai's big hands and holds it with her two tiny hands while looking up at him with a pleading expression. Really, only Kagome would use puppy dog eyes on the big doggy general in the midst of a war. For others it would have been cause for immediate execution, but for Kagome…

"If you fail, you will never refuse my orders again, Miko." Sesshomaru delivers his ultimatum with such a firm expression there was no way Kagome could ignore the gravity of his words. If she failed this time, she might as well call herself Sesshomaru's slave from then on.

"Understood." Kagome nods and turns back around to face the encroaching hoard of youkai. She glances at Miroku who has gone back to casting sutras while leaning on Sango's shoulder due to the effects of the Saimyosho's poison. She can't ask him to clear the way for her this time. As she contemplates the possibility of raising a barrier around herself while also manifesting enough energy to shoot her arrow, the sound of a whip snapping through air and countless demons falling to their deaths interrupts her thoughts.

Glancing up, she sees Sesshomaru taking on the duty of clearing the way for her in the most infuriating way possible. Not even bothering to unsheathe his sword, the dignified demon lord is merely flicking his wrist back and forth while youkai after youkai fell. Just like he was doing earlier.

"Hn?" Sesshomaru senses the miko's stare and turns his head. The lazy look on his face paired with that insufferable raised brow has Kagome's blood boiling once again. We are in a war, dog darn it. Why does it look like this is a waste of your time?

Hmph. Kagome ignores the arrogant youkai to focus on her own problems-like the lack of an arrow. Kagome frowns down at the empty bow in her hand. Did she really need the arrow?

In her early days as a miko, Kagome remembers Kaede telling her stories of old. Legends about how truly powerful miko and monks could bend reiki to their will and shape the stubborn power into whatever form they needed. Swords, shields, nets, anything was possible...even arrows.

Eyes of blue fire look up at the gaping hole to see the never ending youkai stream impeding their victory. She had to close it. Raising her weapon once again, everyone watched as Kagome pulled on the empty bow.

Sesshomaru continued to watch in interest, wondering what his little miko was planning. Inuyasha and the rest of them also had little clue what the girl was doing as she appeared crazy in their eyes, but the holy people were watching in earnest. Once again, they were baffled by the daring little priestess. Was she really trying to do what they thought impossible for centuries? The answer was a resounding yes.

Magenta light slowly started to swirl around the miko's petite frame. At first, the wiggling wisps of reiki were jumpy and uncoordinated as Kagome tried to call them to her side. She never struggled with her ability to call massive amounts of her reiki at a time but her control over the stubborn light was far from being mastered. It was only through sheer will power that she was able to create a projectile similar to that of an arrow.

Everyone watched as the small bow was notched by the illuminated arrow of pure reiki. It looked both beautiful and deadly, much like its creator. Honestly, even Sesshomaru was impressed.

"Alright, now hit the mark!" Kagome does not waste any time in taking aim and letting the arrow loose. It was almost impossible for her to contain her reiki into a physical form so she needed to shoot the thing before it too exploded and all her efforts went to waste.

The blinding light of the projectile shot across the sky like a falling star. It flew fast and sure, and when it hit the hole in the sky. **Ka-Boom. **

"Yes!"

"Monks and Miko retreat. Restore the barrier."

"Charge!"

Voices rang out but Kagome couldn't make sense of it before she found herself being hoisted into the air and drug back to the rear.

Sesshomaru set her down with a meaningful look before he took off to join the fray.

"What, not even a good job?" Kagome grumbles as she moves to check on the others. The monk who was bitten earlier was already patched up and there were no others injured so the miko was left standing with nothing to do as her friends launched a full frontal attack.

This was all part of the plan, of course. Otherwise, Kagome would be throwing a fit right about now. She knows that her holy powers are to be reserved for the second and third phases of their plan, but she hated the thought of her family fighting while she just stood there. If only she knew a weapon other than the bow…

The wind scar tore through the enemy without mercy and with the low level youkai up against the full force of the Inu-taich, soon Naraku's minions were decimated without much effort.

"Keh, easy." Inuyasha rubbed some blood off his chin but only managed to smear it along his jaw in the process.

"Yes, too easy…" Sango throws off the carcass of a mutated bear demon with her Hiraikotsu before walking up to Inuyasha's side. As the enemy was defeated, their forces now stood alone in the courtyard.

Their enlisted force of allied youkai suffered minimal damages, and as the last of Naraku's force was vanquished the allies began to regroup. Koga stood apart with his pack to examine the extent of their injuries, the lowner youkai were tending to themselves, the monks and miko remained standing to the back as the observed the situation, and the the original Inu-taichi plus Sesshomaru made their way to the base of the Castle stairs.

"My dear Sango is right, that was too easy. We should proceed with caution." Something was wrong. The fight was too easy for someone of Naraku's caliber. It was too quick and now the quiet surrounding them became all the more ominous.

"Keh, I know that! That sneaky bastard always has something heinous planned while he hides like a coward in the shadows." Inuyasha grumbles as Kikyo comes to stand by his side.

"Heinous. That's a good word Inuyasha! So you have been studying that book I lent you." Kagome smiles and they all laugh as Inuyasha's face flushes red, even Sesshomaru chuckles under his breath.

"Shut up! Koga, you and the rest guard the outside. Don't leave any holes for the weasel to escape!" Inuysha hides his embarrassment as the rest of them move to ascend the stairs. "It's time for Phase 2."

As they all step on the stairs leading to the castle doors, a sense of dread fills Kagome's stomach.

"Wait guys!" It is too late. A mere few feet up the stairs, the stone beneath their feet vanishes and they all plummet into a dark abyss.

* * *

**AN: Hey everyone! I can't apologize enough, and I won't make excuses for my absence. I can't explain everything that has happened in these last few months that kept me from writing, but I am sorry. Life is crazy and sucky at the moment, as is the case with most the world right now. The chapters may be a little shorter but I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. Thank you all for having patience with me! I hope the story will prove worthy of your patience.**


	15. The Love Spell: Chapter 14

**~Phase 2: Find Naraku~**

It's dark.

"Inuyasha!"

It's really dark.

"Miroku, Sango!"

So dark, Kagome fears she has gone blind.

"...Sesshomaru?" The whispered name was a plea of the most desperate nature. Kagome's heart was like an erratic drum beat in the all too quiet room. Where were her friends? The last memory the miko had was feeling a sinking sensation in her stomach before the stairs gave way and her and her friends fell down into a sea of darkness.

"You guys?" Kagome groaned as she tried to pick her battered body up off the floor. She must have hit the ground hard because she felt like a walking bruise. Even her voice sounded beaten as she kept calling for her friends while moving through the black emptiness in front of her. Fear was her only companion for what seemed like hours before a faint flickering of light caught her eye. Moving her sore body even faster, Kagome called out in joy as she recognized that faded pink light. Yes, in this instance, she was even happy to run into Kikyo.

"Kikyo!" Kagome panted as she sighed in relief before screaming.

"Gyah!" When the dead miko turned around, her reiki flame illuminated Kikyo's stone cold face and made her look like a ghoul.

"Why are you screaming, Miko Kagome?" The monotone voice funny enough helped settle Kagome's frazzled nerves as it was familiar, but shit. If they were back in her time Kagome would have encouraged Kikyo to audition for horror movies. She'd make a hell of a Sadako.

"Ah, well…" She couldn't just say her face was scary, could she? Best not. "I'm sorry, I thought I saw something behind you." Kikyo's glassy stare glanced behind her and then back to the futuristic miko.

"I see nothing nor sense anything."

"Ah, yeah." Kagome awkwardly coughed. "My bad, the dark has me paranoid." Still, Kikyo emotionlessly stared at Kagome with an unfathomable expression.

"If the dark is what ails you, why not illuminate the way with your reiki?" There was no inflection in the statement but Kagome instinctively knew Kikyo was judging her, but this time the young miko probably deserved it. She was so scared that she forgot her reiki was as good as or better than any flashlight.

"Um, I didn't want to give away my location if the enemy was near." Kagome mumbled her pathetic excuse as she, too, lit a single reiki flame in her hand-one much more powerful than Kikyo's.

Now that Kagome could see better, she took the time to assess their surroundings (and ignore the blank/judging face of the dead miko beside her).

They were alone in a narrow, stone corridor. The ground was cold and wet like they were in some underground cave and when Kagome looked up she couldn't see the ceiling. How far down did they fall?

As Kagome looked around the empty space, Kikyo stayed silent. In her head, she was wondering what it was about the simple creature before her that made Kagome so much better than her? Why was it that everyone felt drawn to her, wanted to protect her, and believed in her? Why was she so weak yet so strong in her own way? Why, no matter what she went through or struggled against, did no darkness succeed in dimming her light?

The bitterness in Kikyo's empty heart was palpable, but for some reason she no longer felt any hatred. Kagome wasn't her, like she originally thought, and by thinking of the girl as a separate being Kikyo learned to accept the young miko's existence. She learned not too long ago that it was her constant comparison to Kagome that made her so filled with hatred and self-loathing. Now, she was content to just be Kikyo until her mission has ended and she accompanied Naraku back to hell. This was no longer her world. It belonged to creatures of light, creatures like Kagome.

"Miko Kagome, we should continue on." Kikyo's voice brings Kagome out of her inner ramblings before the piercing blues of the young girl clashed with the glassy black stare of Kikyo's.

"Ah, yeah." Kagome and Kikyo started walking in awkward silence. Well, awkward for Kagome. Kikyo made no move to converse with her but for the young miko the silence paired with the uncertainty of what hid within the darkness made her feel exceptionally chatty.

"Have you sensed the others or anything else down here?" Kagome ignited a few more reiki flames and spread them out around the two onna in a circular formation. This way, both their fronts and back were illuminated and gave them a good space of visibility. Now it would be much harder to sneak up on them.

Kikyo watched the reiki lights flitter about at the young girl's command. Did she even know how exceptional her ability was?

"I briefly felt a surge of youki similar to Lord Sesshomaru's, but I was unable to trace it back to him." Kikyo was also feeling a little unnerved by the situation. That vile hanyou must have split them up on purpose in order to make it easier to capture them along with the last two remaining fragments of the jewel shard.

"Ugh, that bastard must be playing tricks again. Why do I feel like we are walking right into a trap!" Kagome groaned as she rubbed her temples. Kikyo agreed but she didn't feel the need to verbalize it.

Once again, they walked in silence until the small hallway gradually widened into a vast and empty space. As soon as their feet entered through the doorway, the stonewall closed from the other side. They were trapped.

"What the hell?" Kagome mumbled as light began to flood the room. It was a big room filled with nothing. Greyish blue stones lined the walls and the floor appeared to be packed earth, but what had Kagome on edge was what stuck out of the ground. The room was filled with grave markers.

"A burial ground?" Kagome and Kikyo both looked at the hundreds of graves before them with a foreboding sense that whatever trap Naraku had planned for them, this was the stage.

"Do we go in?" Kagome genuinely asked Kikyo her opinion. It wasn't like they had a choice, but the younger miko desperately hoped her senior would say no. Of course, things never went Kagome's way.

"We must if we are to reach the door on the other side." Kikyo barely paid the graves any attention after ascertaining they were, in fact, graves. She, being dead, was not as averse to their surroundings as the ever lively Kagome.

"Ugh, I guess you're right." Kagome scrunched up her little nose as she tried to find a path through the room that would keep her from trampling over the graves. Just then, an emotionless voice much younger than Kikyo's spoke up.

"I will aid you on your journey to the other side." Kagome's head snaps up from the ground to see a figure in white standing in the doorway across the room. A tiny figure with white hair holding a silver mirror.

"Kanna." Kagome shivered. The sensation of her soul being pulled into that detestable mirror being one of her most disturbing memories. The young incarnation's black eyes merely blinked at her name.

While Kagome was lost in her memories, Kikyo wasted no time in notching an arrow and shooting it at Naraku's first incarnation. The holy light of her reiki was a wisp of pink through the air before Kanna easily deflected the projectile with a twist of her mirror. Silence ensued as Kanna and Kikyo locked their dead eyes on one another.

"Let the dead play with the dead." Kanna's whisper echoed off the empty walls like a chant as she lifted the mirror before her small body. "Rise."

With her command, the ground began to shake and Kagome was left to stare in disbelief as deformed bodies started to claw their way out of their earthen graves. The army of the undead was in various stages of decay and encompassed a variety of 'soldiers.' Men, women, and even children were soon standing before her with blank expressions on their pale blue faces. Once standing, they turned motionless.

"Attack." Kanna issued her second command and the room erupted into action.

"Shit!" Kagome spat out her curse as the reanimated corpse of what Kagome assumed to be a farmer tried to spear her with a pitch fork. The young miko made quick work of the man on reflex, purifying him without a thought, but when she jumped back to the door she saw the mass of the undead force wasn't moving to fight her. It was only one or two people at a time that launched themselves forward with their makeshift weapons.

"Why aren't they attacking all at once?" Kagome grunted as she ducked beneath the giant cleaver some old butcher was hacking at her. The constant attacks were making it impossible for Kagome to amass the amount of energy she needed to deal with them all at once.

"Distraction." Kikyo answered indifferently. Though she had more experience fighting than Kagome did, her power was not what it once was so she was having a harder time dealing with the constant onslaught.

"But for what?" Kagome mumbled but her voice lodged in her throat and she froze when she saw her next 'opponent.' This one was not long dead as the skin was still full besides being pale and clothes were relatively clean if you disregarded some loose dirt, but that only made her heart hurt more.

"It's-It's a child." Kagome's heart lurched as the lifeless eyes of a small boy met her own. He appeared to be crippled as his twisted body limped towards her with his tiny hands curled into claws. He got close too because Kagome couldn't find it in her to attack him.

"No. Kagome." Kikyo coldly contradicts her. "It is a corpse." Kikyo says as she decisively shoots a purified arrow between the child's eyes. The little thing didn't even have time to wail as the body disintegrated.

Kagome has to blink back the tears in her eyes. She knows Kikyo is right, but still this was too much for her. Naraku, you coward. How could you desecrate the body of such an innocent child for your selfish needs?

Anger in her heart, the fire in her soul flared to life as reiki flooded the room in an explosion of rage. Screw battling one on one, this was taking up too much time.

The sea of reiki made quick work of the undead army but when the flames subsided, the room was empty. Where was Kanna?

"Oh no you don't!" Kagome gave chase, ignoring the warning Kikyo yelled behind her to be careful. In a matter of minutes she was running down empty corridors and through abandoned rooms. It seems they were in an underground lair beneath the previous lord's castle.

The rooms sometimes held makeshift weapons and odd furniture, but Kagome paid them no heed. She was too busy chasing a figure in white. Like a ghost, the flick of a sleeve or the quick glimpse of white hair led Kagome further and further into the underground tunnels.

Adrenaline fueled her relentless pursuit as her legs pushed her to go faster every time she caught a glimpse of Kanna's retreating figure. She just reached the top of some stairs when she found herself in an open room.

Unlike the other rooms, this room was made of wood and a small window let in a sliver of sunlight into the small space. Was she finally above ground? Kagome's eyes roam around the room and by doing so she catches the sight of her own reflection.

"Freeze." Kagome's body automatically responds as she stares at herself in Kanna's mirror. What was going on? Kanna's mirror was never able to control her before now let alone paralyze her.

Kagome's internal struggle amounted to nothing on the outside as her limbs remained still. Kanna holds the mirror even tighter as she steps closer to the paralyzed miko. It was only then, that Kagome got a closer look at Kanna's mirror.

A jewel shard. The mirror that once was pure silver now had a sliver of the shikon jewel adorning the frame. Was this why Kanna was now able to control her? Does this mean she could now seal her soul in that horrible void?

"Release." As if to answer her internal inquisitions, Kanna twisted the mirror in her small hands and the sickening feeling of Kagome's soul beginning sucked out of her body assaulted her senses.

"Nnn." Kagome groaned as she tried to twist herself out of the spell's grip, but it was useless. A stream of silvery light leaked out of her body and began to slip behind the cool glass of the mirror.

The tugging sensation pulled on her heart and left her feeling cold to her very core. This was it. This was how she was going to die. Kagome closed her eyes as a single tear escaped down her cheek. How pathetic. She was going to die before landing a single blow against Naraku.

No! This can't be the end. Kagome grits her teeth as the image of her friends flash behind her eyes. They need me!

With her eyes closed, Kagome tries to raise her reiki in a last attempt of releasing the mirror's seal on her soul. The power was building, slowly at first, but then more fiercely. Like it felt the impending danger. She only had one shot but she was going to shoot it straight at that little brat's head!

Kagome was on the brink of release when a sudden shadow stood before her. Opening her eyes, who was she to find but Kikyo, voluntarily standing in between her and Kanna's mirror.

With the mirror out of sight, the portion of her soul that had yet to be sucked into the mirror snapped back inside Kagome.

"Kikyo?" Kagome could not believe what she was seeing. Kikyo was blocking Kanna from stealing her soul, leaving her own stolen souls up for the taking.

"End her, Kagome." Kikyo's usually indifferent voice sounded strained as soul after soul slipped out of her vase-like body in silverish orbs of light. If possible, her black eyes were growing darker and dimmer as her clay body began to crack. Like the weaving of a spiders web, intricate cracks spread across her porcelain skin as wisps of silver air leaked out of her. It wouldn't be long until her body gave out and Kikyo met her end.

"No!" Kagome's heart filled with guilt. Glaring at Kanna, she directed a stream of reiki in her direction. The light flew from her hand and pierced straight through Kanna's mirror like a holy spear. In a matter of seconds, Kanna's mirror began to glow from within as the holy light of her reiki overflowed from the mirror's dimension.

A flash of surprise showed on Kanna's emotionless face as the mirror cracked in two and the never ending stream of light Kagome was unleashing went on to pierce Kanna's small body, right through her stomach. She reached a quick end but Kikyo wasn't so lucky.

As soon as the mirror broke, the souls flooded out into the room but Kikyo's fragile body fell to the floor before any of the lost souls could return to her. Kagome tried to catch her, but she was too late. Kikyo's body hit the floor. The earthen vessel that was the dead miko's body was on the verge of falling apart. Deep cracks became visible on her face and arms and the hollow center of her chest was slowly becoming visible from the crumbling clay of her body.

"Kikyo!" Kagome cried as she moved to kneel beside her enemy-turned-ally. Panicked, Kagome desperately waited for the souls to come back to Kikyo. If that happened, maybe she could find a way to stop the last remnants of Kagome's own soul from leaking out of Kikyo's broken body. Maybe she could still save her.

But the souls did not return. Glowing silver orbs filled the room in a beautiful display of light, but the majority of souls only remained for a second before floating out through the open window and into the outside world-most probably on their path to find an eternal resting place. The only light remaining was the strongest, however, so Kagome retained a slimmer of hope when the white light whistled around the room, as if searching for it's home.

"Here, come here!" Kagome tried to coax the light her way as she knelt to hold Kikyo's limp body. It seemed to work as the light twitched to a halt before flying directly at them, but when it was just within Kikyo's reach it did an abrupt turn and flew into Kagome.

"No, not me. Kikyo, go to Kikyo!" The impact of the soul she lost to Kanna returning to her left Kagome breathless as she unreasonably argued with her own disobedient soul, as if her pleas would convince her own soul to hope back out of her and into the fading miko. When nothing else happened and the quiet returned, guilt consumed Kagome as she looked down to see Kikyo, staring up at her with humorless eyes and a faint, rueful smile on her lips.

"Do not mourn me, Miko. This is as it is meant to be. You must live for the sake of tomorrow. You must live to light the way to a new beginning, and I will lead the way to the end."

A sad expression, the only expression Kagome has ever seen on Kikyo's face, breaks Kagome's heart under the weight of her guilt. If she had not been too hasty, if she had listened to Kikyo's warning, the older miko would not have had to step between her and Kanna's mirror. She would still be alive. Well, sort of.

"I'm sorry." For once, Kagome shuddered out as she tried to dry her tears. She couldn't cry, she didn't have the right. This was her fault, after all.

Kikyo's sluggishly moved her eyes over to gaze at the miko. The young onna she caused so much pain now felt pain over her demise. How ironic. If Kikyo was who she used to be, she would have laughed at the poor child. She was truly too innocent for this world.

"If that is so," Kikyo used the last of her strength to say her last request. "Tell Inuyasha, I'm sorry and…" Kikyo's eyes expressed a glimmer of light that was different from Kagome's as the last wisp of Kagome's own soul leaked out of her empty chest. "That I truly loved him. "

Kagome could not answer her verbally for fear of sobbing she gave a solemn nod, and the last thing she saw of Kikyo was a simple smile. A smile that accepted death but left the living feeling unsatisfied.

"I will." Kagome held the empty clothing of the now forever dead miko in her hands, as the soul that was stolen from her all those years ago drifted back into her chest. The warm feeling of being whole again making the miko feel bitter sweet.

"I promise." Kagome's voice was a mere breath of air as she wrenched herself off the floor. It was not the time to cry like some pitiful child. She would mourn the loss of her ally after the war was won, Kagome decided as she collected the sliver of the shikon jewel from Kanna's discarded mirror.

"Get yourself together, Higurashi." Kagome clenched her fists and grit her teeth as she left the room to enter an abandoned hallway. Even if she was alone, she would push forward. That's right, because she had a monster to find.

* * *

"We meet again." Boots walked without a care through a pool of blood before stopping in front of the bleeding onna. Black hair fell in tangled waves to the floor due to her slumped over frame. Lacerations decorated her pale skin and danced across her back like a wicked mosaic. Flesh was flayed and festering. It was a sight that would have disturbed most, but for the cruel being he was it couldn't even tickle his fancy.

"Kagura." Sesshomaru looked down on the pathetic sight of the wind youkai. It was clear she was beaten and then left to rot, but the Demon Lord didn't care for her fate. If anything, he thought it was what she deserved.

"Lo..d Sess..ru" The pained wheeze caused the wind witch to convulse with a coughing fit, her maroon eyes listless and blurry.

"Hn." Sesshomaru paused as he contemplated whether Kagura was of any use to him. The wounds on her body were at least a few days old and with Naraku's miasma poisoning her system and preventing her body from healing, her mental state could not withstand an interrogation. At least, not his style of interrogation.

"This Sesshomaru will ask only once, Kagura. Where is Naraku? What is he planning? If you offer a satisfactory answer I will relieve you of your misery." Sesshomaru wasted no time as he pushed for information. The ever calm Demon Lord was feeling anxiety during a battle for the first time in his life all because he could not sense his little mate. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

Eyes without fear looked up at the figure in white and even now she could feel the hole where her heart should be clench in longing, but even she knew there was no hope left for her. Well, if he could not be her life, he could still be her death.

"He waits for you at the highest point of the palace. As for his plan...I do not know." Kagura's voice expressed how dissatisfied she was with her own information, but what could she do? She lost Naraku's favor long before this plan was formed. She only knew his location because her heart was still being held in that bastard's claws and he was currently twisting it in his grip for his sadistic amusement.

"Hn." Sesshomaru's eyes also narrowed in dissatisfaction and he moved to leave but as he passed her and the poor state she was in, the image of Kagome's beautiful face passed behind his eyes. What would she think if she knew he left Kagura here to suffer? Immediately, that beautifully smiling image twisted into that of a disapproving scowl.

"Ha." Sesshomaru sighed. Yeah, this time he actually sighed out loud. What is that miko doing to him? (Lol, WWKD is gonna be a bitch for Sesshomaru). The smell of his acidic whip duled with the stale scent of Kagura's blood for dominance, but we all knew which was more powerful.

Without turning her head, Kagura's shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you." She breathed as a loud *SNAP* filled the air.

Kagura was finally free.

Sesshomaru did not even spare her a second glance as he turned to leave the room. He had a spider to kill.

* * *

"Shit!" Kagome stumbles for the upteenth time on the uneven floor of the corridor. Even though she knew she was now above ground, no light seemed to enter the castle. All she could see were endless corridors and the occasional vacant room. It was like the haunted house maze from hell.

"Come on, Kagome." The young miko grunted as she pushed her tired legs to go even faster. Every step she took, every second she couldn't find a trace of another being inside these decrypted halls, had Kagome's heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. She had to find the others so they could finally end Naraku, but the longer she searched for the others the more alone Kaogme felt.

They have to be here somewhere. Kagome turned to go down another corridor in her blind pursuit, but she immediately froze when a flash of color caught her eye.

No.

There, at the end of the corridor, was something she couldn't believe. Something that the mere thought of its possibility made Kagome's heart grow cold. Moving ever faster, she ran through the strangely misty corridor to make sure her eyes were deceiving her. That the strange shadows in these long hallways were playing tricks on her.

"Oh god." Kagome choked. Her mind shit down as she struggled to rationalize its appearance. How could this be here? It's impossible!

Kagome's emotions were intense to the point she began to panic. Every breath became shorter and more frantic as she stared at what should not be there.

{Miko.}

Kagome trembled as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep her mind and body from falling apart.

{Miko.}

It can't be true. It just can't be true. It's impossible.

{Kagome!}

The sound of a deep, agitated voice screaming in her head made Kagome snap out of her hysteria. She looked around desperate to see the owner of that voice, desperate to see the youkai whose name alone could calm her chaotic mind.

"Sesshomaru...Sesshomaru!" Kagome shouted but there was no one beside her in the lonely corridor. She turned around frantically hoping to catch a glimpse of him. If he was here, he would know what to do. He would tell her it's not real. But the more she looked the more disappointed she grew. He wasn't there.

"Great, now I'm hearing things." Kagome's laugh was sardonic and without humor. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

{Calm yourself, Miko. This Sesshomaru is indeed with you, just in mind not in body. Now speak. Why are you in such a distraught state?}

Kagome could hear the exasperated tone of the great Demon Lord as clear as day, and if she tried she could almost fool herself into believing there was a trace of desperation in his voice. Even though it felt crazy, she answered the phantom voice with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Sesshomaru. It's awful. I was running through the castle and when I turned down some corridor, I found...I found." Kagome was sobbing now as she clutched the fabric in her hands.

It was a child's Kimono, bright yellow and orange patches contrasting the dull colors of the hall. It would have been a welcome reprieve from the endless darkness surrounding her if Kagome wasn't petrified by it being here. That, and the fact it was splattered with blood.

{Speak clearly, Miko! This one can't read your mind, I can only hear what you consciously wish to tell me. So, calm yourself. Please.}

Sesshomaru's voice was truly desperate now. Kagome could hear it in the way he called her Miko, and for some reason Sesshomaru being worried about her made Kagome calm down. Slightly.

"...Rin. It's Rin's Kimono and *Hic* there's blood." Kagome's voice was hoarse with the amount of emotion she was trying to suppress. Logically, she knew it could be a trick. Actually, since they were dealing with Naraku, the likelihood that it was a trick was greater than not. Her head clearly tried to tell her this and make her believe that what she was holding was part of an elaborate ruse, but for some reason her heart couldn't believe it.

{It's a trick, Kagome. This Sesshomaru sent them to the Shiro for this very reason. Don't let this ploy fool you.}

Sesshomaru spoke the very words Kagome was saying to herself, but it wasn't working because all her heart would have to whisper is two dreaded words and her logic flew out the window. What if?

"But.." Kagome gripped the fabric till her knuckles were white. The sense of dread eating away at her nerves.

{No buts. Tell this Sesshomaru where you are, I will confirm it for you in person.}

Kagome liked that idea. If Seshomaru was here, he could tell by the scent or by some other inu-youkai detective Connan skill he had that this was fake. And if it was real, well, she would still have Sesshomaru by her side to face that reality.

"I'm-in a hallway?" Kagome looked around. There were no discerning marks for her to give Sesshomaru. All she could see were dilapidated wooden walls and cracked floors. Except for that one room, she had yet to see a window.

{No matter. This Sesshomaru will find you. Stay where you are.}

Sesshomaru's conviction was like a blam to Kagome's wounded spirit. It would be ok. If Sesshomaru was with her, she would be ok.

"Sesshomaru?"

Kagome whispered out loud, but the answer filled her head.

{Hn?}

Kagome's pale lips twitched. She never thought she would find that sound so amusing or comforting.

"I…" Kagome started as she nibbled on her lower lip. What did she want to say to him? That she missed him? That she was scared? That she wanted to be snuggled up close in his protective embrace right this second despite being in the midst of battle? All of these thoughts seemed ridiculous, but one more than the rest.

"Sesshomaru, I...I li…" The foolish sentence was on her lips when she heard it.

"Oka-san..." The broken voice of a child rang out from down the hall. It was weak and scared and it damn near killed Kagome just to hear it.

"Rin!" Kagome's body bolted off the floor but before she could take a single step she heard a bark of an order shouted in her head.

{No! It is a trap, Miko. Do not take a single step forward until this one arrives. We will proceed together.}

"Sesshomaru…" Kagome looked down the corridor with frantic eyes. It was darker than the rest of the castle and the sense of something lurking in those shadows, something evil, was making her reiki riot beneath her skin.

"Alri-"

"Oka-san!"

"Mama!"

When another innocent little voice filled with pain called for her, Kagome knew what she had to do. Oh, how she wanted to listen to Sesshomaru, but everyone knew the little miko was not good at following orders. If it was a battle between heart and mind, for Kagome, that wasn't a battle at all.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome whispered as she steeled her resolve. "I'm sorry." Kagome's voice was oddly calm as she took in a deep breath and ran straight into the heart of the spider's web. She knew the danger. It just didn't matter. Nothing mattered more than her babies. Not even her life.

"Kagome!" Sesshomaru roared as the mental connection snapped. Apparently this side effect of the spell had a time limit. He couldn't sense her anymore and the loss of connection made his beast howl in rage. How could she disregard his order so easily? It was too dangerous. This time, he might truly lose her!

Find her! Let us find her! The beast growled as the mental restraints holding him back shattered under the force of his frenzy. This was it, the strength of this new emotion was too strong even for Sesshomaru to defend against, and before he knew it his beast was surging to the forefront of his mind. However, this time he wasn't just making a guest appearance. No, they were joining, and Sesshomaru was letting it happen.

After a few moments of mental chaos, something finally clicked for the Inu Prince. For the first time in his long long life, the feeling of being complete filled him as his beast and him became one.

"Alright," A deep voice on the verge of a growl echoed through the empty halls as molten gold eyes glimmered in the darkness like the world's most dangerous predator. "I'm coming for you, my disobedient little mate."

* * *

Pain. Searing pain was all Kagome could feel as, once again, she found herself lost in darkness. What happened? Her body refused to move and the intensity of her pain made the miko unable to differentiate between left and right. All she knew was pain, before a grating sound offended her ears.

"Haha, congratulations Kagome, my dear." The slimy voice made Kagome's brow twitch on reflex and subsequently allowed her to find her eyes. Peeling back her heavy lids, she came face to face with the blood red eyes of the one true devil.

"Naraku." Kagome cursed as lancing pain shot through her body.

"Yes, my lovely little miko." Naraku chuckled again as he tilted Kagome's chin up with his finger. Looking straight into her eyes, he smiled a wicked smile. "You found me."

* * *

**AN: Hello, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it! I debated how to write it but I settled on writing in a style that (attempted) to simulate the hectic nature of battle. I wanted it to seem like a lot of stuff happening at once since when you're in those situations time seems to flow differently. I hope I achieved that without appearing too rushed. Anyways, let me know what you guys think! I always love and appreciate y'all's comments.**


	16. The Love Spell: Chapter 15

**~Phase 3: End it all~**

"God dammit!" Inuyasha howled as he swung the Tessaiga for the upteenth time. No matter what he did or what technique he used, Naraku's castle remained intact and impenetrable.

"Still no luck?" Sango asked as she jumped off Kirara's back. She just got back from surveilling the perimeter of the old castle for the third time but the back of the building was built into the stone walls of the gorge. Even the crevices were sealed, making infiltration impossible.

"Does it look like it?" Inuyasha growled in frustration. Immediately after Kagome shouted for them to stop, they all felt the stairs give way under their feet. But the strange thing is, when they were all falling into the black abyss something or someone forcefully ejected him, Sango, and Miroku back out. By the time they realized what was going on, Kikyo, Kagome, and the ice prick were all sealed beneath the stone steps.

"Patience, Inuyasha. We are all worried at the moment, but snapping at each other is not going to solve anything." Miroku tried to maintain a calm facade but the hand gripping his shakujo was white-nuckled with the force of his grip.

The sun now hung low in the sky as hours had passed since the incident and they were still separated from their comrades without a clue on how to get into the castle. Wherever they looked, the entrances were sealed and the walls fortified-even the damn ground was rock solid. There was no way in, and now, all they could do was hope their friends on the other side would be able to find a way out.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Miroku! Kagome's in there! With her luck, she'll be running into trouble the first chance she gets and if I'm not there to protect her then who will?"

Inuyasha's anger was reaching a boiling point. He felt so helpless staring at the stairs that were without a scratch despite his continuous efforts. He needed to get in that castle. Kikyo would probably be fine. Sesshomaru, well, he didn't care what happened to that bastard, but Kagome? Kagome would definitely be in trouble.

She was stronger now, there was no denying that, but Kagome's heart was as unguarded as ever. Her emotional nature was sure to be abused by that sly spider's mind games so he needed to be there to protect her. Out of everyone, Inuyasha knew best the emotional turmoil his best friend's heart has had to endure over the past few years. She did not deserve anymore heartache.

"Inuyasha…" Miroku had the words on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew his friend was panicking right now, so it would be of no help if Miroku told Inuyasha that Kagome would most likely be fine. She had someone new to protect her.

"Kagome-chan's reiki is incomparable to the past. I am sure she is more than capable of protecting herself." Sango put in her two cents with a covert glance in the monk's direction. With a shake of her head, Miroku knew that Sango was thinking the same as him. This wasn't the time for such a conversation. For now, all they could do, no matter how much it infuriated them, was to wait and see if their friends would emerge victorious or if evil would prevail…

**(WARNING: DISTURBING MATERIAL AHEAD)**

"Ugh.." Kagome woke to find her head pounding away to the incessant beat of a jackhammer. It felt like her skull was going to be split open any second.

"Wu...Mama." The broken cry had Kagome's eyes snapping open. Blinking away the pain, the miko desperately searched for the little one crying for her. At first, all she could see was darkness, then blurry images, and then an image that almost killed Kagome.

"Shi-ppo" Kagome's voice was strained with emotion. Fear, anger, and heartbreak flooded her body and she began to shake uncontrollably. There, only a mere meter away from her, hung Shippo and Rin. Their tiny wrists shackled and then suspended into the air so the blood of their various wounds dripped down to pool on the floor.

"No. No!" Kagome screamed as she tried to throw herself to her babies' sides but she was unable to move more than an inch. She was also in chains. Her hands were bolted into the wall at her sides as were her ankles.

"No no no no no. Ugnh, Ahhhhh!" Kagome screamed as she wrestled with her restraints but no matter what she did, her bonds would not break.

"Wuu, Mama I'm scared." Shippo's voice was filled with pain and tears and it tore at Kagome's very soul. She fixed her gaze on her little boy and she tried to present an image of calm and comfort.

"Shhh, don't worry, baby. Mama's gonna get us all out of here." Kagome looked to Shippo's side to see the top of a head of dark hair. "Rin, darling, look at Mama." When the child did not move, Kagome began to panic.

"Ri..Rin-chan hasn't woken up since the last time." Shippo's little lip puckered out as he tried to stop crying, but the fear was evident in the way his furry little tail curled tightly against his side and his ears laid flat against his head.

"What do you mean by last time?" Kagome's voice shook as she assessed Rin's condition. Even from where she was plastered against the wall, Kagome could see the bright red blood dripping from numerous wounds on Rin's little body. Lashes of color tore through her under robes so big gaps could reveal the torn flesh beneath.

It was ghastly, gruesome, and cruel. Only one person Kagome knew of would be capable of doing this to a child, and they were currently in his castle.

"The last time _he_came." Shippo whispered as the sound of a heavy metal door opening brought a stream of light into the room.

"Oh my god." Kagome cried as the light exposed the full extent of the damage on the two innocent children's bodies. Red and black blood, bruises, welts, burns, evidence of extensive torture were exposed to Kagome's eyes and that image would forever be burned into her brain.

"Naraku, you bastard! I'm going to kill you!" The young miko tore her throat with the force of her bellowing to the point blood dripped down the corner of her lip. The kind, forgiving miko everyone knew and loved was nowhere to be seen. All could be seen as a malevolent spirit out for blood.

"Haha, is that so? Little miko, you would first have to be capable of such a feat for that threat to bother me." A figure cloaked in black and purple stood within the light, his face twisted in a sickening smirk.

"Don't think me incapable, Naraku. It might just be the last thing you ever do." Kagome growled as she summoned the holy power within her, preparing to strike, but to her horror nothing happened.

"What's the matter, miko?" The sound of Naraku's voice slithering in her ear made Kaogme want to hurl as the vile man walked to stand before her. He came so close, the heat of his breath could be felt on her clammy cheeks.

"Oh, I know." Naraku's eyes flashed with pleasure as he gripped Kagome by the hair and pulled her head back. He leaned in like he was enjoying the view of the young onna shackled before him. His pale, boney hand reaching up to wipe the blood from the corner of her lip. "You're wondering why your reiki won't heed your call?"

Naraku smiled as he licked the blood off his finger, savoring both the flavor and the revolution he could see on the miko's beautiful face. The game had just begun and it was already so delectable, just how far could he go? The hanyou's crimson eyes gleamed with mirth as he thought of the pleasurable ways he could play with this pure little soul.

Kagome's face paled. The last time her reiki didn't answer her was with Kagura, and if Kagura had the means to suppress her reiki then that means Naraku, her master, would be more than capable of doing the same.

"The shackles." Kagome growled as she guessed what was suppressing her powers, and Naraku smiled even wider.

"Yes. My dear, I love how intelligent you are. Nothing like those worthless village women. Always so quick to come and figure out my plans or guess my motives. Too bad," Naraku yanked Kagome's head to an unnatural angle so he could whisper in her ear. "This time your intelligence will be of no use to you."

On instinct, Kagome's body shuddered in revolution at having Naraku so close, but she could bear it. She had more important things to think about.

"Do whatever you want with me, Naraku, but leave the children out of this! We both know they can't give you the sadistic pleasure you're looking for." Kagome endured the pain to pull against Naraku's grip and look him in the eye.

"Oh, I will, my little miko. I will have my way with you in as many ways as I please, and then some more just for fun." Naraku promised as his black heart filled with excitement over the images flashing behind his eyes.

Yes, he would enjoy the onna's body over and over again until it was broken and bleeding. Then, he would break her spirit and when she realizes there was no hope for her, he could finally break her mind. In the end, she will live to please him like that bitch Kikyo should have all those years ago.

"But first, I have two toys that still need to be played with." Naraku loved the look of absolute horror in the miko's sparkling blue eyes before he turned to face the whimpering kit and filletted ward.

"Don't you dare lay another finger on them!" Kagome pulled so hard against her restraints that her wrist and ankles began to bleed, but it was no use. Her shouting was not enough to stop the monster from approaching her children.

"My, my, the brat still slumbers?" Naraku glanced at Rin's unconscious form before deciding one was enough.

"Useless." Naraku flicked his sleeve and an inky purple-black tentacle lashed out. Before Kagome could even register what happened, the head of an adorable little Rin rolled to her feet.

"Rin…" Kagome whispered before screaming incoherently. She could not believe what she was seeing. Rin could not be dead. She would not believe it.

"Well, let's hope you last a little longer." Naraku's blood red lips perked up into a malicious grin as he stood beside Shippo's trembling form.

"Watch, Kagome. This show is for you." Naraku's cheerful tone was so out of place from the situation at hand that it made Kagome feel the whole experience was surreal, but that didn't stop the miko from feeling the phantom pains of every injury Naraku inflicted onto poor little Shippo.

For what seemed like hours, Kagome was forced to watch the unforgivable as her body struggled endlessly to save her baby. It wasn't until Naraku pierced Shippo's broken body with one of his tentacles and those lively emerald eyes dimmed to a glassy gaze that Kagome's body finally fell limp.

As if the tentacle had pierced her own chest, Kagome felt dead inside. Better yet, she wished she was dead. What she just saw was a level of cruelty she could not even fathom. Tears streamed down her pale face but she was of no mind nor ability to wipe them away. Luckily, her captor was so kind as to give her a helping hand.

"Shh, miko. Don't cry." Laughter could be heard in Naraku's voice as he wiped something soft across Kagome's cold cheeks. She blinked and her hazy mind took a second to register the familiar object being brushed against her skin, but when she finally did she screamed.

It was Shippo's tail.

"Stop that." Naraku snapped as he slapped Kagome into silence. "I don't know what you're screaming about. Fox fur is a luxury item, Miko Kagome. Don't be so unreasonable."

Kagome had already screamed herself hoarse so now all she could do was glare up at the man she believed to be evil incarnate. Her body felt numb but her heart was burning with fiery rage.

"He won't...this." She forced the words out of her scratchy throat, but even Naraku's heightened senses could not pick up everything she said.

"Speak up, Miko." Naraku said as he smacked her across the face once again. "I want to hear your last words."

Kagome felt warm blood spill inside her mouth as the force of the slap busted her cheek and broke a tooth loose. Spitting out the blood obstructing her throat, she took a deep breath in before giving Naraku her own bloody smile.

"Sesshomaru won't let you get away with this. He will kill you in the most torturous way possible." This was not just a threat. Kagome believed Sesshomaru would avenge them with every fiber of her being. If she had listened to him, maybe they could have saved Rin and Shippo together…

Interrupting that depressing thought, Naraku answered Kagome's threat with his own maniacal laughter. The sound unnerving the little miko as she tried to suppress the foreboding feeling invading her soul.

"Oh, my dear little miko. You believe in your guard dog so wholeheartedly?" Naraku's voice sounded patronizing as he shook his head, like he actually pitied her.

"I'm afraid you are only destined to be disappointed. You see, Sesshomaru can't seek revenge for you if he does not know what has transpired." Naraku's smile grew as he pointed to the opposite side of the room. There, Kagome's hopes were ruthlessly shattered as she saw the one she believed to be invincible shackled like a chained dog to the wall.

Pounds and pounds of chains tightly constricted Sesshomaru's tall frame, but Kagome had no doubt that the Demon Lord could still break free if he exerted enough effort. The trouble was, Sesshomaru wasn't fighting against his chains. No, he just stared blankly at nothing. His golden eyes hazed over and void of any signs of life.

"What did you do to him!" Kagome's listless body began to buck and pull at her restraints once again. It was fine if she lost to Naraku, but Sesshomaru would never fall to such a man. It was impossible.

"Me? I did nothing. You see, when you recklessly charged in here this fool tried to follow you. His whole being was dead set on saving you, so much so that his impenetrable mental guard was down and Byakuya was able to subdue him and his beast. Rather easily, I might add." Naraku chuckled as he watched Kagome's face fall to utter despair once she realized it was because of her that her hero was captured. Enthralled in her misery, Naraku continued on with an air of excitement.

"Don't worry. He will not perish. In fact, once I am done playing with you, you both will remain by my side. One, my loyal and obedient pet bitch and the other my loyal and obedient pet mutt. I am sure we will have a splendid time together for the rest of our lives."

Naraku was so lost in his delusion that he didn't see a shift in his captive's demeanor. The sight of Sesshomaru like that, defeated and helpless, was heartbreaking, but Kagome's mind still caught on to something Naraku said.

"Byakuya…"

Naraku started at the whispered name, but his face gave nothing away.

"What did you say?" Naraku's red eyes scoured Kagome's face and he didn't like the light he saw reflecting in those blue eyes-the same eyes that were as good as dead a few moments ago.

"Of course, haha." Kagome laughed and the sound was like the chiming of sacred bells dispelling evil from the world. It was so joyous and clear that it made Naraku flinch back with a scowl on his face. When Kagome noticed this, her own smile turned mocking.

"What? You didn't actually believe I'm foolish enough to think you capable of harming someone like Sesshomaru, did you? Ha, in your dreams, stupid." Kagome's smile grew and her signature blue eyes began to glow pink.

"Or, should I say in mine?" With that a blast of magenta reiki filled the room and the disturbing images before Kagome disappeared.

**{END OF DISTURBING MATERIAL}**

Kagome woke up. Her wrists were still shackled but her face was pressed against the hard stone floor and the smell of blood was pleasantly absent. Blinking a few times, Kagome adjusted to her new position and she knew that her intuition had been correct.

Everything she just saw was a byproduct of that damn dream demon, Byakuya.

"Bastard." Kagome grumbled as she groaned out in pain. The images still leaving lingering pain and suffering in her soul.

"You called?" Naraku's voice was sickly sweet as he responded to the lump on the ground that was Kagome. Through Byakuya, he had been enjoying every moment of her beautiful torment from the very beginning.

He watched as the onna nearly lost her mind to the images she saw and he loved how her physical body shook with intolerable pain due to her misery. It was such a marvelous show. Why did the little bitch have to ruin it?

Hearing his voice, Kagome's body flinched up off the ground and into a crouching position on battle instinct. She didn't like that her wrists were shackled but her legs were at least free this time. If worse came to worse, she would make a run for it.

Kagome's shining blue eyes quickly examined the room, but to her horror there was no escape route. They were in a circular room with nothing but a big open window that revealed the fading light of day. The sunset illuminated the world in warm orange and yellow, but the lapse in time it suggested made Kagome feel cold. That, and the gaudy chair Naraku sat upon like a smug king on his throne made the miko disgusted with herself. Next time, she will wait for Sesshomaru.

Seeing that escape was probably impossible, Kagome turned her head to glare at the vile hanyou with nothing but pure malice. It seemed the only way to leave this room alive would be if one of them were to die.

"What? You didn't like the show?" Naraku laughed as his crimson eyes glimmered with amusement. The psychological torture he just inflicted on the poor onna not disturbing him in the slightest, in fact, it was a euphoric experience for the spider as he watched the miko's unconscious form writhe in agony and despair. He would love to see it again.

"Byakuya, I don't believe the miko is a fan of your work." Naraku spoke over his shoulder and from within the shadows a flippant voice answered him.

"Everyone's a critic." The flower boy's billowing sleeves flicked to the sides as he shrugged off the comment with ease. It didn't matter to Byakuya if the filthy female enjoyed his work, only his master's opinion mattered.

"Enough with the games, Naraku. What do you want?" Kagome was fed up with everything at the moment and didn't help that she was mentally drained from Byakuya's earlier antics. Why was she here? Why didn't Naraku just kill her off?

"Hmm?" Naraku nonchalantly looked at her like he had forgotten she was even here. "I don't need anything from you, my dear Kagome. I am just so distressed that you were unhappy with my opening act. Byakuya, perhaps the little miko will enjoy your encore performance." Naraku gestured for Byakuya to come forward which the incarnation eagerly obeyed.

"I'm sure this next performance will change your world, Kagome. Watch carefully." Naraku's red eyes held an eerie glow in the setting sun's rays but Kagome was too focused on Byakuya to catch it. His long black hair pulled into a high tail on his head swayed from side to side as he strutted to the big window.

Glancing at the sky, Kagome saw what he was looking for and a cold sweat began to soak through her clothes because in the sky hung both the setting sun and the rising moon. They were still planning on putting the entire world under Byakuya's illusion, and Kagome was going to be forced to watch.

"No!" Kagome lunged forward, hoping her momentum could take the demon off guard and push them both through the window. She did not care if she died. As long as it meant she could save her friends and family from becoming Naraku's live puppet show, she would do anything.

Byakuya saw the onna's feeble attempt of an attack and a look of disdain flashed in his eyes. How could this little onna be the one that kept causing his master so much trouble? Really, she was just too stupid.

Without a second thought, Byakuya kicked out his leg and sent Kagome flying back into the center of the room. She coughed up a little blood but he did not kill her so his master should be fine with it.

"Master, I regrettably must inform you that the stage is not properly set. The planets have yet to fully align." Naraku watched as Byakuya strood past a heaving miko and laughed internally. Only his incarnation could be so unbothered by others' suffering.

"Un. Very well. We can just take the time to chat. Say, Miko Kagome, once the illusion is complete would you prefer my first act as world ruler to be ordering you to purify your own rabbel army or impregnating you with my seed to breed a new legion of yoki-reiki wielding warriors? I will be immensely pleased with either option so I shall leave the choice up to you."

Narku got up from his chair and approached the onna bent over in pain. His disgusting proposal along with the sound of his approach had Kagome scrambling to her feet.

"I will never participate in something so foul." Kagome growled as she backed away from Naraku's stalking figure. Just the thought of either of those two options becoming reality made her feel sick to her very core.

"Of which option are you referring?" Naraku smiled as he cornered Kagome against the wall. The situation was too familiar after her earlier dream that it was making her body go into panic mode. Heart racing and blood running cold, Kagome tried to prevent herself from hyperventilating.

"Both." Kagome spit as her fingers dug into the stone wall behind her. At the moment, our heroine was the very image of a caged animal. Her fight or flight instinct roaring in her veins. The only thing that kept her standing was her refusal to let Naraku's plan succeed. If her talking with this spider could buy her friends some more time than that was a sacrifice she was all too willing to make.

"Oh. Is that so?" Naraku's beady eyes narrowed as his smile turned into a disapproving frown. "Again, your taste is questionable dear Kagome. I guess I have no other choice but to give you a preview of your future performances. I've already shown you the demise of your loved ones, so now…" Naraku whipped a tentacle out of nowhere and allowed the slimy falace shaped object to slither up Kagome's body until it wound around her neck.

"I'll be happy to give you a taste of the very seed that will be growing within you in the near future." Naraku's tentacle yanked Kagome down onto her knees so her face was at the level of his crotch.

Now, this was not the first time in the feudal era that Kagome was faced with the threat of rape, but it definietely was the most sickening. Kagome's mind clammed up despite all her years of training. She was ready to battle the hanyou to the death if that was what it took for her to beat him but the idea of being violated by this monster was enough to make her consider killing herself first. Just as the idea popped into her head a cold voice spoke out from the recesses of her mind.

{You dare ponder that thought, Miko? Do not forget, you and your life are currently under this Sesshomaru's protection.}

The sentence was spoken with an underlying storm of emotion that Kagome had never heard before, but that voice was something that she knew all too well.

"Sesshomaru."

Kagome's whisper was heard by Naraku but just as he rose a brow in question a wicked wind of white whipped through the window. In a flash, a scream sounded and ink black blood splattered across Kagome's face as Naraku's tentacle was sliced in half.

Kagome and Naraku both froze from different emotions, one elated and the other quite peeved. Sesshomaru, of course, paid the spider no mind as he turned to face his miko.

"This Sesshomaru told you to wait." An accusing glare was met with glistening tears. Kagome did not even hear his reprimand as she threw herself against his armored chest.

"Sesshomaru, you're safe." Kagome shook as the image of Sesshomaru chained with the vacant look maring his handsome face flashed behind her eyes.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was lost. He is safe? Of course he was safe. Who does this disobedient little creature think her mate was? Sesshomaru suppressed the urge to sigh as he placed a hand on the miko's head.

"We will discuss this later." Sesshomaru murmured into Kagome's ear before he pulled the onna behind him to glare at the creature responsible for her pain.

"Vermin." Sesshomaru's emotionless voice spoke as if in greeting, a drastic contrast to how he talked to Kagome.

"Ah, the dog has arrived. I must say Lord Sesshomaru. Your arrival was less than timely. If it had been even a moment later, I would have helped myself to your little bitch before you even had the chance." Naraku's customary smile was in place but inside he was feeling anything but happy.

When Sesshomaru arrived, it was not he who cried out but Byakuya as that damn demon sprayed him with his corrosive poison. Since his incarnation was caught completely off guard, Byakuya was reduced to a puddle before he could even erect his barrier. Now, Naraku was left with nothing up his sleeve but his last resort.

Sesshomaru showed no response to the spider's taunt but Kagome could feel the tension radiating the daiyoukai's muscular frame. Now that the immediate threat of rape was removed and Sesshomaru was standing by her side, Kagome's unsettled nerves began to calm and her mind and body were now ready to end this battle.

"Give it up, Naraku. Byakuya is already dead. Your plan has failed." Kagome moved out from behind Sesshomaru to stand by his side. The Demon Lord spared her a glance before he returned his cold gaze to Naraku. This time Sesshomaru was determined to not leave even a crack open for the conniving creature to escape. Today, the spider would die.

"Yes, Byakuya's demise was most unfortunate but that was his own fault for being weak." Naraku shrugged as he disregarded the death of his most trustworthy and loyal incarnation with the same regard as if he lost his shoe.

"No matter," Naraku continued with a crazed look seeping into his crimson eyes. "This was not my first choice but it does have it's own appeal."

Kagome looked at the madman without understanding what he could possibly be talking about but it dawned on her when a pale hand extended out to them. Upon that hand sat the beautiful yet formidable Shikon no Tama, fully intact and swirling with clashing colors of pink and purple.

"If I can't have what I want, then you will have to suffice as my compensation." Naraku's lips curled up as his eyes and body began to glow.

Before Kagome or Sesshomaru could react, the damn spider was gripping the shard and chanting some odd spell. Wisps of pink and purple whirled around the room and its three inhabitants. Kagome felt the odd yet familiar sensation of something pulling on her soul and then her physical body being pulled away form Sesshomaru.

"Come Kagome, join me in eternity." Naraku whispered into her ear and the pull on her soul grew even stronger.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagme's voice was lost in the wind but golden eyes still found her just as the pulling sensation reached its summit. Steely determination flashed behind murderous eyes as the Inu Lord saw his intended wrapped up in the spider's grip. Without thinking, Sesshomaru reached out to take Kagome's outstretched hand. And then, they vanished.

**AN: **Hello Everyone! Thank you for your continued support of this story despite the inconsistent updates. I write whenever I can but sometimes life is too hectic. I hope you enjoy this update and aren't too upset with me by the ending cliffhanger 😅. The battle will be wrapped up in the next chapter and then the proceeding chapters will be dedicated to some fluffy yet smutty progress in our two main character's relationship. Luv ya and be back soon (I hope). Please leave me a comment or review if you have the time! I love hearing back from all of you and it keeps me motivated to continue writing when I know people are reading the story ❤️.


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